10 Original Logos for Famous Brands

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10 Original Company Logos You Wouldnt
RecognizeThen and Now
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Graphic Design Brand Identity

• Once you get out of school for graphic design,
  one of the potential job prospects is to work in
  a marketing department on corporate branding.
• It is easy to underestimate the power of a logo
  on how we perceive companies.
• But if you compare the original logos for some of
  the worlds most well-known companies to the
  logos they have now, you can see how powerful
  graphic design can really be.
• Lets take a look at the evolution of 10
  corporate logos, then and now

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Nintendo

• Before Nintendo was in the business of video game
  design, they were actually a playing card
  company.
• The original logo from 1889 consisted of three
  words (nin, ten, and do).
• But it wasnt until 1967, when the company
  ventured into creating electronic toys, that the
  company we now know as Nintendo was born.
• Over 100 years later, the current logo was
  introduced in 2006.

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• Then

• Now

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Apple

• Apple is one of the most iconic (and one of the
  most cash-rich) companies in the world today.
• And they got there largely in part due to their
  branding and sleek design, which is often
  minimalist.
• But their current identity is a far departure
  from their original 1976 logo, which came
  complete with an inscription which read
• "Newton A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange
  Seas of Thought Alone."

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• Now

• Then

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McDonalds

• The now-famous golden arches werent always
  McDonalds symbol.
• In fact, McDonalds wasnt always the fast-food
  restaurant we know today.
• The first restaurant operated by McDonalds
  served burgers, but it was also a place for
  barbecue. The iconic McDonalds fries werent
  even an option.
• By the late 1940s McDonalds decided to focus on
  burgers and speedy service, creating Chef
  Speedee as a mascot.

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• Now

• Then

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Coca Cola

• Although it is now one of the most recognizable
  and most valuable brands in the world, Coca
  Colas original logo wasnt nearly as
  recognizable as the one now.
• Created in 1886, the original logo was simple and
  without color.
• In the 1900s Coca Cola introduced the script
  which they have stuck with ever since (except for
  a short departure in 1985, which didnt last very
  long).

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• Now

• Then

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MasterCard

• Along with being one of the most
  universally-accepted payment methods, MasterCard
  also has one of the most universally known logos.
  
• But it wasnt always that way.
• In 1966 the company was actually known as
  Interbank. By 1969, it transitioned into the
  newer logo with the overlapping circles, and went
  by the name of Master Charge.
• 1979 saw the birth of MasterCard as we know it
  today (with a few slight tweaks along the way).

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• Now

• Then

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Pepsi

• Pepsi wasnt always known by that name. It was
  first introduced to the market in 1893 under the
  name Brads Drink.
• A re-branding in 1898 saw the birth of
  Pepsi-Cola, complete with a brand new logo.
• Unlike Coca Cola, Pepsi went with a fancier
  script and color right away. The two companies
  actually had logos that resembled each other for
  a while.
• After several iterations, and decades with new a
  new logo, Pepsi re-introduced script in a
  logo/script combo in 2014.

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• Now

• Then

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Nokia

• Nokia is now best known for their mobile devices.
  But it wasnt always the case. They have a
  history of selling quite a variety of products,
  including televisions, car tires, shoes, and
  more.
• Theyve also had a variety of logos throughout
  their history, beginning in 1865.
• The word Nokia actually refers to an animal
  one that is not a fish. But a fish took center
  stage in its original logo.
• But then again, the company is Scandinavian

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• Now

• Then

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Xerox

• What we know today as Xerox was born in 1906 as
  the Harloid Company. And it had a logo to match.
• In 1948, the Xerox name was born out of the
  invention of xerography, a photocopy technique
  (although the Harloid name was still incorporated
  in the logo).
• The idea became a huge success, and the company
  became known as just Xerox in 1961.

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• Now

• Then

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IBM

• The company that is IBM today was found in 1896
  as the Tabulating Machine Company.
• It wasnt until 1924 that the company adopted the
  name it holds to this day International Business
  Machines.
• The logo has changed along with the name changes,
  and through different eras.
• While the newest logo holds a similar design to
  the IBM weve seen for decades, it has gone back
  to the classic black-and-white.

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• Now

• Then

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Mercedes

• As far as car logos go, the three pointed star of
  Mercedes-Benz is as iconic as it gets.
• But it wasnt always the symbol for the German
  automaker.
• Prior to a merger of separate companies before
  World War I, Mercedes had a very straightforward
  logo without any symbols just the name.
• In 1909 the company introduced the three-pointed
  star which has lasted (with a few evolutions)
  ever since.

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• Now

• Then

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