We are bombarded with company logos all the time, its inescapable. Yet, for some of the most ubiquitous of logos, surprisingly, people don’t know the meaning behind them.

A bit of fun today, get ready to see some of the world’s most notorious logos in a different light after reading our blog on “Ten brands with hidden meanings to their logos”

1. Toblerone

Toblerone was founded in 1908 in Switzerland and developed a unique milk chocolate including nougat, almonds and honey with an iconic and distinctive triangular shape.

The logo features a mountain as its emblem, the Matterhorn to be exact. Look further and you will see a bear discreetly hidden within the mountain)

Why a bear? The bear is the heraldic animal of the city of Berne in Switzerland, where the Toblerone company began. And it’s on a mountain because of its association with the Swiss mountains.

2. Picasa

It would be easy to just take it for granted that “Picasa” is a nice, snappy name.

However the colourful logo symbolises a camera shutter and the outline of a house too. Casa in Spanish means “house” so take the “pic” from pictures and casa – and you get a “house for your photos”.

Find out the meaning behind the logo we created for Trattoria Genova

3. Museum of London

One for the historians and Londoners, the Museum of London logo was developed to incorporate the shifting and changing borders of London as each overlaying colour, from when it was just a small town to the huge city it is today.

4. London Symphony Orchestra

If you look at the logo you will see the LSO letters joined however look deeper into the logo and you can see the shape of a conductor conducting their orchestra.

5. Cisco

Cisco is the global leader in networking for the internet and takes its name from the location of its headquarters; in San Francisco. The brand’s logo features the Cisco name in bold red font, with blue lines above representing an electromagnet and also the shape of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

6. BMW

BMW or Bavarian Motor Works is a German multinational company which produces some of the world’s most luxurious cars and motorcycles. The BMW logo colours come from the Bavarian flag; which are blue and white. The blue and white segments within the emblem are thought to be a nod to the company’s origins when they used to manufacture aircraft engines. The blue and white logo represents the blades of a spinning propeller.

Find out the meaning behind the logo we created for ‘Babs 

7. Beats

The hugely successful headphone brand which was started by music moguls Dr Dre & Jimmy Lovine has a fairly simple, clean logo. However, look closely and the logo actually has a few elements, not only does the b represent b for “beats” but the white surround is meant to signify the human head wearing the beats headphones.

8. Audi

Another car company to feature a logo with a hidden meaning is Audi. The iconic automotive brand has complex origins which date back to the early 20th century. The distinctive 4 interlinked ring emblem was created when four companies came together to create the original Audi – Auto Union company.

9. Amazon

Amazon is a global powerhouse in the online shopping market and there are few people in the world who do not buy regularly from Amazon. The yellow arrow in their logo not only conveys that they sell everything from A to Z but also sub-consciously represents a smile. Psychologically, Amazon has designed the logo to give consumers a warm and happy feeling about dealing with them.

10. FedEx

The global shipping company’s brand is one of the most famous logos to feature a hidden meaning within its identity. If you look closely at the space between the “E” and the “X” you will see negative space which forms an arrow. The logo which was developed by Lindon Leader has won over 40 awards and was ranked as one of the eight best logos in the last 35 years by Rolling Stone magazine.

We love the hidden stories and thinking behind logos. The best logos have depth in meaning, at Red Media we love to create brands and concepts that tell rich stories about a company or organisation.

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