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LOGODESIGN - WORKSHOP
A brief History
of logo

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A brief History of logo
When did companies first
start using logos?

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A brief History of logo
What were some of the
earliest designs?

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A brief History of logo
It’s time
to dive into the fascinating history
of logo design!

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4000 BC

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4000 BC
Ancient Egyptians developed hieroglyphs,

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4000 BC
Ancient Egyptians developed hieroglyphs, a
system of writing where symbols like hooks
and circles represented ideas, words, and
sounds.

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2700 BC
Ancient Romans used hot iron brands to
mark

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2700 BC
Ancient Romans used hot iron brands to
mark their livestock. This practice carried
over to the Old West in America, where
farmers would mark their cows with a logo as
a way to signify ownership.

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520 BC
Ancient Greeks used owls to symbolise
wisdom and knowledge. This motif appeared
on coins created from bronze.

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479 AD – 1350
Metalsmiths created exclusive sigils for
aristocratic families in the Middle Ages.
These images were engraved into shields
and used to decorate banners that were
carried in battle, showing both pride and
loyalty to the family “brand.”

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1366
Stella Artois, the famous brewer from
Belgium, was one of the first to use a
company logo.

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1600s - 1800s
Newspaper and magazine ads became
popular, meaning companies could gain
attention with more than word-of-mouth.
At this time, many brands were already using
logos, though they could only be printed in
black-and-white.

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1810
German politician Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe was the first to explore color
psychology. His book, “Theory of Colours,”
discusses how color affects mood and
emotion, influencing the logo designs of the
future.

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1837
Chromolithography, or color printing, was
invented by Louis Prang in Boston. Metal
was a particularly popular material, with
logos being printed on tobacco tins, lunch
boxes, keychains, trays, signs, and many
other items.

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1843
Offset printing, a branch of
chromolithography, was used for magazine
ads, posters, catalogues, and product
packaging. Macy’s, Colgate, and Budweiser
were a few of the companies printing their
logos with this technology.

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1876
Bass Brewery, founded in the United
Kingdom in 1777, displayed the first
trademarked logo by the British government.
The logo was so famous it was mentioned in
James Joyce’s novel, “Ulysses.”

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1905
John Cadbury, the Willy Wonka of the United
Kingdom, was one of the first to print his
logo directly on the product’s package.
This best-selling chocolate bar featured a
whimsical font and eye-catching colors on
the wrapper.

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1907
Screen printing made it possible to print
logos on a variety of surfaces.

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1912
Pierre de Coubertin, a French scholar,
designed the interlocking rings for the
Olympic games in Stockholm. The rings are
one of the most iconic designs in history
and symbolise the unification of all nations
without discrimination.

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1920s - 1930s
The Golden Age of cinema unleashed a wave
of big movie studios, all bearing their distinct
logos. To this day, designs like MGM’s
roaring lion and Universal’s spinning globe
make their appearance on screen before the
movies roll.

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1941
Bulova Watch Company became the first to
advertise on television. Their commercial,
which aired during the Brooklyn Dodgers
and Philadelphia Phillies game, showed their
original clock logo and cost a reported $4 to
$9 total.

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1950s
1950s
Fast-food chains, like McDonald’s and
Burger King, started becoming famous all
over the country. Most of these restaurants
use red in their logo because it evokes
a sense of urgency and increases our
appetites.

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1976
Designed by Danne & Blackburn in New
York, NASA’s logo evokes a sense of
patriotism. This became a symbol of pride
for astronauts, especially when the Voyager
launched on its interstellar mission a year
later.
The NASA Graphics
Standards Manual by
Richard Danne

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1977
Milton Glaser designed the iconic “I Love
New York” logo to bring more tourism to the
Big Apple. His original design was sketched
on a napkin and offered for free to the New
York State Department of Commerce.

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1998
The world completely changed when Google
launched. Co-founder Sergey Brin designed
the original logo using a free editing program,
but eventually changed the colors and font
as the search engine became successful.

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2004
Facebook became a popular social media
platform. Companies could pay for targeted
ads, plus Facebook’s logo could be included
on other websites to encourage shared
content.

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2016
While consistency is key, some companies
change their logos based on their evolving
brand identity and target audience.
Instagram is a good example of rebranding
done right.

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2019
Logos are always needed for upcoming
events and businesses.

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LOGODESIGN - WORKSHOP
Some more...

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A brief History of logo

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In sum...

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In sum...
4000 BC to 520 BC
Egyptians
Romans
Greeks

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In sum...
4000 BC to 520 BC
Egyptians
Romans
Greeks
479 AD – 1350

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In sum...
4000 BC to 520 BC
Egyptians
Romans
Greeks
479 AD – 1350

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In sum...
4000 BC to 520 BC 1843
Offset printing,
a branch of
chromolithography.
Egyptians
Romans
Greeks
479 AD – 1350

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In sum...
4000 BC to 520 BC 1843
Offset printing,
a branch of
chromolithography.
Egyptians
Romans
Greeks
479 AD – 1350

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In sum...
4000 BC to 520 BC 1843
Offset printing,
a branch of
chromolithography.
Egyptians
Romans
Greeks
479 AD – 1350

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In sum...
4000 BC to 520 BC 1843 1950s
Offset printing,
a branch of
chromolithography.
Egyptians
Romans
Greeks
479 AD – 1350

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In sum...
4000 BC to 520 BC 1843 1950s 1998
Offset printing,
a branch of
chromolithography.
Egyptians
Romans
Greeks
479 AD – 1350

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In sum...
4000 BC to 520 BC 1843 1950s 1998
Offset printing,
a branch of
chromolithography.
Egyptians
Romans
Greeks
479 AD – 1350

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Thank you