36 Hidden Messages in Company Logos You See All the Time
Updated: Sep. 10, 2023What do Apple, Amazon, Baskin Robbins, and Toblerone have in common? They have hidden messages in their logos—here's what they are and what they mean.
Did you know these logos have hidden messages?
As consumers, we see company logos daily. If you stop at 7-Eleven, you see its logo as soon as you pull in. If you make a pit stop at Dunkin’ for coffee, you’ll carry its logo on your coffee cup. Logos are everywhere, but have you ever stopped and really looked at them? There’s more to them than meets the eye.
Turns out, many companies have hidden messages in their logos. Companies like Starbucks, Amazon, and even Goodwill strategically designed their logos to convey subtle messages about things like company values and products. Logos can also try to subconsciously influence buying behavior, which partially explains why so many logos are red. Read on to discover the hidden messages in logos you see all the time.
Baskin Robbins
Baskin Robbins is known for its ice cream, but did you know there’s a hidden message in the logo? Look closely, and you’ll see the number 31 in the initials—as in the number of flavors the company began offering in 1953. Why 31 flavors? It’s one for every day of the month, so you can try something new every day. Yum! The company recently unveiled a new logo (its first major refresh since 2006), but don’t worry—you can still spot the 31 in it.
Amazon
Amazon is a staple in many online shoppers’ lives, but have you ever wondered what that little arrow at the bottom of the logo means? It’s not just a fun design element—the arrow broadcasts the wide variety of stuff (from A to Z) sold on Amazon. Here are some of the strangest things you can get on Amazon—and we won’t judge if you add them to your cart.
Apple
Why does the tech giant’s iconic logo have a bite taken out of it? The reason is pretty practical. The designer made the bite mark for scale so that a smaller logo would still look like an apple and not a cherry. Don’t miss these things Apple employees won’t tell you—including the scoop on refurbished gadgets.
Toblerone
If you’ve snagged this delicious Swiss chocolate bar in your day, you’ve seen the mountain on its logo. But wait, what’s that on the left side of the mountain? That’s right: It’s a bear. The bear is the official symbol of the Swiss town of Bern, the original home of Toblerone. Learn the fascinating origins of these well-known company names.
Dell
The sideways E in the Dell logo is more than just a creative way to set it apart from other logos. Michael Dell announced that the goal of his company was to “turn the world on its ear.” It’s been said he started with an E.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a massive source of information, and there’s a reason the site’s puzzling logo isn’t totally complete. The unfinished globe, made of puzzle pieces with characters from various languages, represents the “incomplete nature” of the company’s mission to be the go-to information portal—and the fact that a site built on user submissions can never be complete.
Sun Microsystems
The hidden message in this logo is very clever from a marketing and branding perspective. If you turn the logo around, the word “Sun” is always there. Don’t forget to check out these hidden meanings in everyday objects.
Tostitos
You may have thought the dot over the “i” was used to give the logo a pop of color, but it’s actually part of a hidden—and creative—message. The red dot is actually a bowl of salsa. The two T’s are people, and the yellow triangle in between them is a chip. It’s supposed to represent people coming together to share a tasty snack of chips and salsa.
Goodwill
You may assume the logo contains a smiling face to represent how good it feels to clean your house, donate items, and recycle clothes you no longer use. But the face is actually just a larger version of the g in the word “Goodwill,” which appears at the bottom of the logo. Who knew?
Tour de France
Does the yellow circle represent the sun? Nope! It’s actually a bicycle wheel. The “R” in “tour” is a person, and the “O” in “tour” is the back bicycle wheel.
London Symphony Orchestra
We thought the three-letter abbreviation was written out in a fancy script font—but we were wrong. Not only is the logo an abbreviation of the London Symphony Orchestra, but it also represents a conductor. The “L” and the “O” are the arms.
Wendy’s
At first glance, the Wendy’s logo looks pretty straightforward—but there is a hidden message in it. More specifically, there’s a secret word hidden in the collar of Wendy’s blouse. Look closely, and you will notice the word “Mom” written in the collar of her top. Many culinary sleuths assumed it was a nod to the chain’s efforts to give food a home-cooked feel, but higher-ups at Wendy’s say the secret message was actually unintentional. Check out the first locations of your favorite fast-food restaurants.
LG
Are the L and the G cleverly configured into a smiley face, presumably the face of a happy LG customer? Nope. Eagle-eyed folks point out that if you tilt your head to the side, that smiley face actually looks like a modified version of Pacman. Perhaps an ode to the beloved arcade game character and the earlier days of personal technology? That’s pure speculation. According to LG, the logo stands for the world, future, youth, humanity, and technology.
Hershey’s Kisses
These two overlapping Hershey’s Kisses make us crave chocolate big time. But if you look carefully at the logo, you’ll notice it doesn’t contain only two kisses. There are three! Look between the “K” and the “I” in the word “Kisses.” If you tilt your head to the left, you’ll see a sideways kiss planted firmly between the two letters. Fun fact: Hershey’s Kisses are one of the most famous products still made in America.
You may think this logo is pretty cut and dry here, with a capital “P” placed in the middle of a bright red circle. But the company’s signature “P” also doubles as an illustration of a map pin. According to CNBC, one of the designers of the Pinterest logo didn’t want to add the visual of an actual pin, but the final look came together organically.
Formula One
With this earlier Formula One logo, you get a strong racing flare with the bold “F” and modern red flame motif, and you may feel the need for speed. But just as the FedEx logo uses negative space to its advantage, so does Formula One. Look between the “F” and the red flames. The “1” in Formula One is clearly present in white.
Cisco
Initially, this logo looks pretty simplistic. The networking company’s name is plain as day under a line motif. But there’s more to this logo than meets the eye. According to Canva, those blue stripes represent an electromagnet as well as the Golden Gate Bridge, paying homage to Cisco’s namesake San Francisco. Once you see the bridge in those lines, you can’t unsee it!
The Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo’s older logo is incredibly sweet when all you see are two giraffes and a few birds, but check out the negative space between the animals’ legs. There, you’ll find the New York City skyline, making the logo even more perfect.
Milwaukee Brewers
This logo has been updated, but the Milwaukee Brewers still sell gear with the design. It’s popular with fans, probably because the design gurus didn’t supply just any old mitt. A lowercase “M” and “B” form the glove, using the team’s initials in a creative way.
Unilever
Considering the Unilever logo is everywhere, you’d think we would have looked deeper at this interesting design. Most people just notice the letter “U” and its decorative motif. But upon further inspection, you’ll see the Unilever “U” uses symbols related to its extensive product offerings. That’s a pretty cool way to encapsulate what the company covers under its wide umbrella.
Hope for African Children Initiative
Yes, the logo definitely includes the outline of Africa, but if you look at the orange and yellow sections carefully, you’ll identify the silhouettes of a child and an adult.
Adidas
With “Adidas” in lowercase, bold type, most people focus their attention on the company name. But those diagonal stripes have meaning: They are intended to look like a mountain—the type of mountain elite athletes would push themselves to climb against all odds.
Beats by Dre
The stellar sound quality of Beats by Dre speakers and headphones speaks for itself, right? So you may think this simple logo is just a lowercase “B.” Not entirely. The circle that encapsulates the “B” actually represents a human head. The “B” is meant to represent someone wearing the headphones.
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
The negative space in logos has so much potential! If you look at the white areas of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium logo, you’ll find a gorilla and a lion looking each other in the eye.
Sony Vaio
At first glance, we thought a designer got fancy with fonts when crafting the word “Vaio,” but there’s meaning behind that original look. Sony wanted the logo to represent the integration of analog and digital technology. The “V” and “A” were drawn to show an analog wave. The “I” and “O” are there to represent binary code. For those not tech-savvy, binary is a computer language comprised of ones and zeros.
Chick-fil-A
Some think the company name, written in bright red cursive, is simply cute and a little country. The font has certainly become integral to the Chick-fil-A identity, but note the chicken incorporated into the “C.” Perfect for a beloved fast-food chain that deals strictly in chicken.
IBM
The IBM logo looks like it was printed on a primitive printer, horizontal lines and all. That’s not the intention behind the logo, though. Turns out, those horizontal lines symbolize the equal sign, representing IBM’s dedication to equality.
Gillette
This font looks sporty, with the slanted style lending itself to the notion of speed. Those slanted letters are angled that way to give off a “razor-sharp” feeling. The “G” and the “I” have been cut to symbolize the brand’s signature product. Here’s how your favorite stores got their names.
Kölner Zoo
The German zoo’s logo features an elephant with a star for its eye. But by now we should know there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to a zoo logo, and the Kölner Zoo logo is no different. In the negative space, you can spot a giraffe and a rhino as well as the two spires that are symbolic of the Cologne Cathedral.
NBC
This logo features a colorful peacock, so we thought it referenced NBC‘s nickname as the Peacock Network. Well, we weren’t entirely wrong. It’s definitely a peacock, but the six feathers have meaning: They represent the original six divisions of the network (there are tons more now, but the logo remains the same). Plus, the peacock’s head is facing right, which is meant to symbolize the network’s eye on the future.
Hyundai
It’s a jazzy-styled “H” for Hyundai, isn’t it? It’s slanted to insinuate speed—or so we thought. This logo is meant to represent two people shaking hands; one is a salesperson, and the other is a satisfied car customer.
Museum of London
This logo seems straightforward—a colorful, artsy design serves as a backdrop for the museum’s name. But check this out: The design of the Museum of London logo was created to pay homage to London’s geographical expansion throughout history. It begins with a layer of what Roman London looked like and finishes with Future Outer London. Pretty cool!
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