10 Of The Most Iconic Brands In The World

There are a number of brands that are considered superstars in their respective fields. Whether it's fashion, technology or energy, these iconic brands have grown beyond their target audience and become household names.

What do they all have in common then? Quality is the obvious answer, yes – but we're here to talk about how the design of these incredible brands has elevated them to such heights.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a brand that is present in homes across the world and its design is key to its success. The bold, stylish, red font of the logo has remained more or less the same since its inception and that's why we love it. It speaks of tradition, credibility and reliability, earning our trust in the process.

Apple

You know the name just by ooking at the logo. Apple is a technology superstar, its logo and clean white background keeping it simple, letting the quality of the product speak for itself. As it's such a simple shape, the logo looks great in different colours too, which is another factor in its success.

McDonald's

McDonald's is probably the most well-known fast food joint in the world and it's down to those famous golden arches. Coupled with the bright red colour in the packaging and logo, it's a winning colour combination – bold enough to appeal to kids and adults alike.

Nike

If you think trainers, you're more than likely to think Nike. The tick has become synonymous with quality sportswear because Nike have rolled it out across all areas of the brand, from the packaging to adorning the product itself. It's simple and unobtrusive, making it easy to include in all the company's designs.

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft are a computing behemoth, with most of us using a Windows PC every day. Those four little squares feature in some way in all Windows devices, making them easy to identify and pick out amongst the competition. Like Apple, the logo looks great in a variety of colours, so it's easy to work into any branding.

Coco Chanel

Chanel is one of the biggest names in fashion, with the interlocking Cs one of the most enduring and famous logos of our time. Featuring on everything from perfume bottles to bags, its simple design means that it looks great on any product, and the chic black and white packaging stands out amongst the increasingly bright packaging of rival brands.

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is a brand that have incorporated its famous company logo into the actual design of its products. Leather handbags adorned with a repeated pattern of the logo are instantly recognisable, much like Burberry with its famous check – though that famously had disastrous consequences.

Shell

Shell is a familiar face at petrol stations across the nation. The bright, easily recognisable logo stands out against the competition, as rival energy brands often rely on names rather than recognisable images.

Disney

Disney is a global icon. The famous elaborately stylised font (called the Waltograph) has been seen on everything from opening titles to toy packaging, with customers trusting such a well-established brand. The 'D' is so recognisable, in fact, it's often featured on its own instead of the whole word.

Hewlett-Packard

Hewlett-Packard is a brand that owes its visibility to shortening its name. While Hewlett-Packard is a bit of a mouthful, HP is much simpler – so that's what they went with for their branding. This simple logo is now one of the most recognisable in the tech sector.

Design is key to a brand's success

There's more to a great brand than just branding, obviously. However, these household names all owe a great deal of their success to the design of their brand. Their logos and colour schemes have massively aided their visibility and helped them to endure in an increasingly tumultuous market.

Tammy Wiltshire is the Marketing Director for one of the leading label designers and manufacturers in the UK – Labelnet.