Over the years, many clever logo designers have created logos with hidden messages, bearing special relevance to the companies they represent.
Here at 99designs, we have scoured the web and collected together nine logos from around the world that we feel have the most unique hidden and clever messages behind them – just for you.
Enjoy!
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#9
Yoga Australia
Origin: Canada
A design most worthy of the top nine, this piece of art created by Roy Smith is a great change from the majority of the logos and brands within the worldwide yoga scene (which usually sport lotus flowers). With a well placed country between leg and arms, this is fantastic use of the human shape.
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#8
Horror Films
Origin: Canada
This logo that uses a film reel doubling as a scared cartoon face won us over here at 99 with its clever simplicity. Taking out number eight on our list, this logo is noteworthy as nearly all other film industry logos tend towards conservative and staid designs.
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#7
Kolner Zoo
Origin: Germany
Claiming seventh spot on our list is the Kolner Zoo in Germany. The zoo commissioned this update in 2007 from what was an extremely bland logo of two Limas on a plain red background. With several forms created in the negative space underneath the elephant (including a Giraffe and Rhinoceros), the designer has also placed in a symbol of the famous local landmark: the Cologne Cathedral.
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#6
Pittsburgh Zoo
Origin: United States of America
Keeping with the international zoo theme, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium also recently upgraded their branding with an iconic logo. Great use of negative space enabled the designer to incorporate a gorilla, snow leopard, birds in the sky and fish down below into a logo worthy of one of America’s largest zoos.
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#5
Two Wolves
Origin: United States of America
Although this was created fairly recently, there seems to be great debate online over the negative space between these two circling wolves in our #5 logo listing for Two Wolves. We cant see anything in there… can you?
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#4
NorthWest Airlines
Origin: United States of America
Even though NorthWest Airlines have refreshed their brand and now sport a new logo, we felt their original logo should make the cut. Placing the icon in the North West corner of the circle and using great typography to bring the N and W into the single symbol catapults this entry into #4 on our list.
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#3
Baskin Robbins
Origin: United States of America
With 31 flavours of ice-cream (who knows what they will do if they add any more), Baskin & Robbins take out third place and claims the bronze medal in our list thanks to their famous 31 flavours logo that encapsulates their name and special number so well.
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#2
Toblerone
Origin: Switzerland
Coming in at a close second, Toblerones logo has a deeper meaning than many people may first realize. Inside the silhouette of the famous Swiss mountain ‘The Matterhorn’, a bear can be seen. Why a bear? According to the company, the animal pays homage to the countries capital city Berne, which name has the meaning “City of Bears”.
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#1
FedEx
Origin: United States of America
Created by Lindon Leader back in 1994, the FedEx logo makes fantastic use of negative space to create an arrow between the E and X to subliminally emphasize the company attitude towards work (speed and precision). Fast forward to today and the FedEx logo is still one of the most well-known and skillfully designed logos in the last twenty years, which is why we have given it top honors in our list of great “hidden message” designs.
Tell us if you know of any others worth a mention!
Re: #5: I see a woman in a bra… er something. Then again, I’m a dude like many dudes that like looking at women in bras typically… er something.
Interested to ‘hear” about what other people see.
Isn’t there also meant to be something about the “spoon” shape in the lowercase “e” in the “Fed” bit? (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2265433387) According to the search I just did, the “spoon” is either unintentional or just something that other people have noticed.
Actually there is no spoon just a regular letter e. The main goal is arrow, spoon you have in every letter e that is bold. :)
Re: #5 Two Wolves
The negative space is in the shape of a numeric 2 (ok so you have to squint a bit but it’s there!)
for #5, the two wolves, dont the silhouettes make the number 2 as well?
This is also an interesting logo by a non-profit (Lumina Foundation): Goal2025, where you can also read 60% instead of GOAL. 60% of americans with higher education credentials by 2025 is the goal. Clever, huh? http://www.luminafoundation.org/goal_2025/images/goal_2025_logo.gif
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium – Stunning work of art as a logo. Exceptional.
Wow, great logos!! The best one #6 looks amazing!!! :)
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic has one as well. If the logo is on it’s side it spells MMA
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/site-museum/media/mmatestv2/mma-blue-rope-header.jpg
in #5 beside two wolves creating number 2, the top wolf looks like hiding something more, like person with his/her hand reaching for something. The space between neck of the top wolf and its left leg is making something like a hand, and tail and body with ear of the top wolf make something like head of a person or a batman(very old batman though). :D
That’s what I saw too.
Ahh! I like the Pittsburgh Zoo.
That’s really thinking out of the box. Thakns!