9 Types of Logos to Know and Use in Your Branding Projects

Discover 9 types of logos companies use to create brand recognition and attract customers, and explore inspirational logo examples to spark your own branding ideas.

Have you ever wondered why certain logos stand out more than others? The type of logo used plays a significant role in creating brand recognition and attracting potential customers. The secret to great logo design is to recognize the role that each of these nine types of logo play in creating successful branding. 

Once you know how to identify these nine logo types, you’ll start to see them in action across a wide range of well-known brand identities, from tech brands like Apple and Google to retailers like Nike, IKEA, and Calvin Klein.

The 9 types of logo design present in modern branding. Top row, from left to right: Disney+ (Logotype), Google Chrome (Animated), and Harvard University (Emblem). Middle Row, from left to right: Netflix (Lettermark), Spotify (Abstract), and Burger King (Combination). Bottom row, from left to right: Mastercard (Symbol), Broncos (Mascot), and Airbnb (Dynamic).

What Are the 9 Types of Logo?

Logo design used to be as simple as pairing the name of a business with an image, but in the 1990s and 2000s a surge in corporate branding and the birth of the internet led to huge diversification in logo types, applications, and aesthetics.

Modern branding, as we know it, was born in this hyper-commercial era.

Did you know that there are now nine distinct types of logo, each with its own purpose? Logos can be simple or complex. They can include text or have none at all. They can even include dynamic or animated elements.

To ensure your business forges a strong brand identity in a crowded market, it’s essential to understand what the different logo types are and the purpose that each of them serves for different brands and brand strategies.

Here are the 9 logo types in contemporary brand design:

1. Logotypes and Wordmarks
2. Lettermarks and Monogram Logos
3. Symbol Logos and Pictorial Marks
4. Animated Logos
5. Mascot Logos
6. Abstract Logos
7. Emblem Logos
8. Combination Logos
9. Dynamic Logos

Read on to discover more about each logo type in detail, and learn how and when you should be using each type of logo to ensure brand success.

License this image via SheikhMohsinAli.

1. Logotypes and Wordmarks

A logotype is a type-based logo which focuses exclusively on the name of a business. If the business has a snappy and succinct name, wordmark logos can help to reinforce the memorability of the brand name through clever choice of font and use of color. 

Other advantages of wordmark logos include the fact that they boost name recognition, are clear and timeless, and can be applied across a wide variety of media. A combination of wordmarks can also clearly indicate a sister brand, collaborations, or brand partnerships to the consumer. 

Examples of Letterform Logos

Well-known examples of logotypes and wordmarks include Coca-Cola, VISA, and Google. An example of a combination of wordmarks might include Disney+ and H&M x Rabanne, the first of which represents a spin-off or sister brand while the latter indicates a collaboration between brands.

2. Lettermarks and Monogram Logos

Lettermark logos are typography-based logo designs which simplify a brand name into its initials or a single letter abbreviation. Also called monogram logos, lettermark logos are often used by businesses with long, complicated names to create a more concise and recognizable brand identity.

They can be used to bring a smart look to business cards and corporate branding.

Monogram logos can also be used to reinforce an impression of luxury and exclusivity, as seen in the logo designs of fashion brands Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, and Chanel.   

Examples of Lettermark Logos

Examples of lettermark logos include CNN, IBM, and NASA, while single-letter logo designs include McDonald’s, Netflix, and Facebook.  

License this image via Nikolay Vdovichenko.

3. Symbol Logos and Pictorial Marks

For symbol logos, pictures speak louder than words. Symbol logos consist of graphic symbols or icons that represent a brand. They rarely feature any text or letterforms. 

To ensure even greater brand recognition, some symbol logos use a simple symbol that acts as a pictograph, an image which directly represents the text name of the brand.

For example, Shell uses—you guessed it—a shell icon as a visual symbol, and Apple uses a logo design that pictures the fruit. 

Examples of Pictorial Logos

Examples of symbol logos and pictorial marks include Instagram’s camera icon, the famous Nike swoosh, and MasterCard‘s double circles. Other visual symbols imagined as logo designs include the Starbucks green mermaid and the WWF’s graphic panda logo.

4. Animated Logos

A dynamic representation of a brand’s identity, an animated logo uses animation or motion graphics to incorporate movement into a logo reveal or simple animated quirk.

These creative and interactive animated logos can be used effectively on video advertising, social media videos, or online platforms to enhance the brand’s uniqueness, helping it to stand out in a competitive market.

Examples of Animated Logos

Many well-known animated logos build on an existing static logo design, incorporating subtle animation to make the design feel more distinctive and memorable.

FireFox uses a simple circular animation to reinforce the fiery swoosh of the fox’s tail, while Amazon’s yellow arrow swoops into a simple click motion to reinforce the idea that the retailer is ready for online shopping.

Other brands that look to animated logos to boost brand recognition include Google Chrome, PayPal, and Pinterest.

5. Mascot Logos

Mascot logos use a recognizable character or cartoon to represent the brand. Accessible, fun, and memorable, one of the advantages of mascot logos is that they build a powerful brand persona into the logo design.

In this way, the mascot logo becomes more than a simple logo design, but rather a personification of the brand that consumers can build an emotional attachment to.

Sports brands often uses mascot logos to reinforce a sense of team spirit, while other brands might use mascot logos to appeal to younger audiences or families, particularly for toy brands or food products.

Examples of Mascot Logos

Famous mascots used in logos include Colonel Sanders, the Michelin Man, the Green Giant, and Tony the Tiger. Many sports teams and sports brands also use mascot logos.

Some of the best known examples include the Chicago Bulls, the Broncos, and the Baltimore Orioles. 

License this image via theromb.

6. Abstract Logos 

Abstract logo marks represent a brand through use of abstract shapes, colors, and lines, resulting in a unique identity that moves away from literal imagery.

Popular with companies who want to put across a sense of innovation and creativity, abstract logo marks have become widespread across tech branding and as unique icon designs for apps or social media branding.

With good reason, too. A 2019 study, published in the Journal of Marketing Research, indicated that abstract logos were the most effective type of logo used amongst a range of 597 well-known brands.

Abstract logo types vary from geometric shapes to loose interpretations of letterforms, but they are always intriguingly enigmatic. These abstract symbols leave room for interpretation, allowing viewers to dive a little deeper and form their own impression of a brand.

Examples of Abstract Logos

A number of well-known brands have opted for logos with abstract representation, including Pepsi, Spotify, Slack, and the interconnected rings of the Olympics logo.

7. Emblem Logos

One of the oldest styles of logo design, emblem logos encapsulate an image, multiple images, and/or text within a badge, frame, or crest.

The company name is often enclosed in a traditional emblem logo design, and emblem logos may also include foundation dates or company location.

Traditional emblem logos are used to give a brand a sense of authority, tradition, or prestige, and are commonly seen in use by government organizations, universities, or other official institutions.

Younger brands may also benefit from an emblem logo style to lend greater establishment or authority.

Examples of Emblem Logos

Emblem logos are used by traditional organizations, particularly prestigious academic institutions such as Harvard University or Oxford University.

You can also see emblem logo styles being used by companies who have or would like to foster a traditional or institutional environment. Think Warner Brothers, Porsche, the NFL, and Lamborghini.

8. Combination Logos

Combination logos combine text and pictorial elements to create a comprehensive logo design that includes both symbolic imagery and the brand name.

If you are in doubt about which type of logo to use in your own branding, a combination mark logo is a tried-and-tested brand strategy that is clear to see and read.

To create an even more effective combination logo design, you can use the imagery to reinforce the name of the brand or communicate the brand’s function, message, or values.

For example, the Pizza Hut logo design tops the brand name with a symbolic “roof,” reinforcing the “Hut” of the brand name and giving the whole logo a homey, welcoming feel.  

Examples of Combination Marks

Many famous brands use a combination of logos in their brand identity to reinforce the clarity and memorability of the brand, including Lay’s, Dove, Burger King, Doritos, and Puma.

License this image via jrscreative.

9. Dynamic Logos

A relatively recent trend in logo design, dynamic logos are fluid and flexible logos that change to create different variations of the same design. In order for a dynamic logo to be successful, it must be recognizable as the same logo design.

As such, designers often tweak just one element—such as color or arrangement of forms—to adapt the logo design in a subtle way. 

In the example of Airbnb, the home-hosting platform used different colors and hand-drawn brush strokes to recreate the original abstract icon for a marketing campaign.

Dynamic logos will likely be more successful if the brand is already well-established. In this way, viewers are so used to seeing the original brand mark that variations on the design are more easily processed.

Examples of How Brands Use Dynamic Logos

Brands rarely use dynamic logos all of the time, as the changeability of the logo design has the potential to confuse consumers and diminish brand memorability.

However, many established brands have found that dynamic logos can really add to the creativity of a campaign, and give an impression of innovation and forward-thinking.

Brands who have dabbled in dynamic marks include Apple, Nickelodeon, Meta, and MTV.

Logo Design Tips to Make a Start on Your Own Logo Design

Now that you know all about the nine logo types found in modern branding, where should you begin with designing your own logo? It can be tricky to know where to start, but we have plenty of resources on hand for you to create your own effective logo designs with confidence.

Whether you’re a professional designer or a budding graphic designer, you’ll find plenty of design tips to really get going on your logo design project.

Why not begin with a logo design kit—a FREE logo bundle that gives you the tools to craft your own unique brand identity in very little time.

Or explore these other logo design tips and tutorials for creating small business branding or more comprehensive corporate brand identities: 

Use this FREE logo download bundle to build creative, on-trend brand identities for print and online. License these images via Zolotarevs, Body Stock, and Jacob Lund.

License this cover image via FOTOSPLASH and Nikolay Vdovichenko.

Recently viewed