Think of a burger joint. You got it? We don't know you. We don't even know
what country you live in. But we're sure that this crossed your mind. We don't have to tell you
what this symbol means. Or this one. Or… Well, you know what we mean. From the time you're born, you have to live with
the constant presence of brands. They invaded our public lives
decades ago, and thanks to digital technology, they've reached every last corner
of our private lives. Every one of them has a visual identity. A logo. Logos primarily have one practical goal: to use a symbol, font or even a color, to sum up the whole meaning of a brand. But, of course,
they're much more than this. Why do we connect with some logos so deeply? To start answering this question, you've got to go way back. A lot further than you'd think. THE HISTORY OF LOGOS PART 1
THE ORIGIN OF LOGOS Since the beginning of humanity, we've been using symbols
to represent complex realities. The Christian cross appeared
more than two thousand years ago, couldn't it be considered a brand? What about the Jewish Star of David? Or the Islam Star and Crescent? All of these already have
one of the essential features of modern brands, their ability to refer to something
intangible, impossible to convey with words, but that we associate
with a type of behavior, a way of living and being. For sales,
a lot of brands use messages about personal improvement
and a sense of community, traditionally associated with
spiritual worship. Because it's all about selling. Getting the client to associate
positive values with your brand. And we've been doing this for centuries. They've found ceramics
in very different civilizations like in China,
and the Aztec and Roman Empires, with marks that refer to their makers, with basic symbols. And let's not forget about
mason's marks, symbols that these professionals
etched onto their work that can still be seen today. Using these marks,
different stonemason guilds stated their origin,
the type of route that they worked on or how experienced they were. In Europe and Asia, During the Middle Ages,
society was separated into different classes. The nobility, the clergy and peasants. Starting in the 10th Century, with the establishment of
the orders of chivalry, a practical problem comes up, knights, covered in armor from head to toe, were unrecognizable on the battlefield and in tournaments. So, they began decorating their shields
with symbols and colors to differentiate them
from everyone else. This is how heraldic art emerged, that over the course of centuries
would also come to define the network connected to these knights: their squires, wives, properties,
territories... Heraldry would move on
to commercial brands in their capacity to create a sense of belonging to a human group, a feeling of familiarity. Some of the first European trademarks came from family crests, as is the case of
the office supply brand, Pelikan or the well-known car manufacturer,
Peugeot. Over the years,
its design was simplified. This system of identifying family clans also existed in Japan, although in a more minimalist way. This is where the "mon" emerges, emblematic circles used by
aristocratic families, that would end up catching on
throughout society. The "mon" would also have an impact on
the origins of the first brands in Japan. The Mitsubishi logo, for example, combines the Iwasaki family emblem, the family that founded
the appliance brand, and the Yamanouchi,
the first to start the company. All of these brands got started
at a time when the world was about to
change forever. A political, social, economic
and cultural changes that would give rise to logo creation as we know it today. Although there are several brands
that claim the honor of being the first to register a logo, in the 19th Century, the most paradigmatic case
is Bass Brewery, a popular English beer brand. But the Bass logo isn't only important
because it was first, but also because of its
revolutionary design, that made it stand out from other brands
for decades. During a time when logos
looked like this, Bass got ahead of the competition
by putting everything on a red triangle. And it worked. Bass got away from classic aesthetics,
proposing an abstract, minimalist, simplified symbol. And not only did the logo sell, it was also incorporated into the works of artists
like Picasso and Manet, proving its key role in a society where the barriers between
art and business were beginning to shrink. Just like before with religious symbols, mason's marks, or family emblems, in the 19th century,
brands started understanding that with just a few lines and colors they could conquer the world. This was the start of
the modern history of logotype design. DISCOVER THE REST OF THE HISTORY SOON SUBSCRIBE
