FedEx
The FedEx logo contains a hidden arrow. If you look between the “E” and “X” in the FedEx logo, you’ll see a white arrow in the negative space. Since FedEx is a shipping company, it makes sense to include an arrow—symbolic of moving forward quickly, with care and accuracy, as a way to represent the FedEx brand.
Amazon
Amazon’s arrow connects the letters “A” and “Z.” It’s no secret that Amazon’s logo features a curving arrow, but there’s a reason it connects those particular letters. It’s meant to convey that Amazon sells anything, from “a to z.” The curve of the arrow is also symbolic of a smile, representing customer satisfaction when shopping with Amazon.
Baskin Robbins
The number “31” is hidden in the Baskin Robbins logo. It’s hidden in the logo’s “BR” initials; the curve of the “B” and stem of the “R” are both bright magenta and form the number 31 together. It’s significant because 31 is the number of flavors Baskin Robbins began offering back in 1953, one for each day of the month. The logo is also designed with fun and energetic colors, done to represent the delight of eating Baskin Robbins ice cream.
Tostitos
The Tostitos logo depicts two people dipping a chip in salsa. Tostitos is a well-known brand for its chips and salsa. So, the hidden meaning in its logo makes a lot of sense! If you look at the “tit” in Tostitos, you’ll see that the t’s are designed to look like people sharing chips, and the dot of the “i” is salsa.
Hershey’s Kisses
The space between the logo’s “K” and “I” looks like one of the candies. The Hershey’s Kisses logo looks pretty straightforward at first glance—and it is, for the most part. If you look between the “K” and “I” in kisses, you’ll see the shape of a Hershey’s Kiss. It’s a quick, clever reference to the chocolates being advertised.
Beats
In its logo, Beats represents a person wearing headphones. Beats is a popular brand of high-end headphones—and the brand’s logo is a simple “b” inside a circle. The “b” represents one side of a pair of headphones, and the circle represents someone’s head—so the logo as a whole symbolizes a customer using Beats headphones.
Cisco
The Cisco logo makes two different references. Cisco is a digital technology and communications conglomerate with its headquarters in San Francisco. So, the blue stripes above “Cisco” in the logo represent the Golden Gate Bridge and an electromagnet. This subtle tribute to San Francisco adds an extra layer of meaning to Cisco’s logo.
London Symphony Orchestra
The LSO logo forms an abstract orchestra conductor. At first glance, the logo just looks like the initials “LSO” in a flowing, connected font. However, the “O” also forms the head of an orchestra conductor, while the “L” and “S” are the conductor’s arms (mid-gesture, as though in the middle of conducting the orchestra).
GameCube
The GameCube logo features the hidden initials “GC.” In the old GameCube logo, there’s a cube within a cube (representing the Game Cube). That outer and inner cube also form a “G” shape, while the negative space between forms a “C,” creating the initials “GC” for GameCube.
Apple
The Apple logo may be a reference to the biblical Tree of Knowledge. Apple’s logo is the simple image of an apple (and leaf) with a bite in it—but there’s a little more to it. In the Bible and the story of Adam and Eve, Eve bites into an apple from the Tree of Knowledge. In turn, the apple in the logo represents one of the fruits from the Tree of Knowledge (and all the knowledge users can get from Apple products).
Dell
The “E” in Dell’s logo is symbolic of the company goal. Dell’s well-known logo features the company name spelled out with a sideways tilted “E.” That’s because founder Michael Dell reportedly said the goal of his company was to “Turn the world on its ear.” The sideways “E” in the Dell logo symbolizes his words!
Wikipedia
Wikipedia’s unfinished globe represents the site’s incomplete nature. Wikipedia is designed to be an enormous information portal packed with user-submitted entries; thus, there’s no end to the potential information that could be added. To demonstrate this, the Wikipedia logo is an unfinished globe made of puzzle pieces (with letters and symbols from different languages on the pieces).
The company’s logo is supposed to symbolize its playful, bold culture. Although Google’s logo is super simple—just the name “Google” in different-colored letters—the colors themselves are what carry a hidden meaning. Those bright colors are meant to represent Google’s company culture: daring, fun, and unafraid to break the rules. The logo lettering mainly uses primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) but has one splash of green (a secondary color) in the “L.”
Wendy’s
The word “mom” is hidden on the collar of the Wendy’s mascot’s dress. The Wendy’s logo is recognizable by the red-headed girl with pigtails featured on it. If you look closer at the girl’s dress, you’ll see the word “mom” on her collar—likely meant as a reference to Wendy’s food and the “homestyle” feel it’s supposed to have.
NBC
The NBC logo represents both a peacock and color television. Since NBC’s streaming platform is called “Peacock,” you might be well aware that the TV company’s logo is designed to look like the bird itself—but did you know that the rainbow-colored “peacock feathers” also represent color television? When color televisions were first introduced, NBC chose a logo to get black-and-white TV owners to switch to color. There are also six distinct “feathers” in the NBC logo—representing the six divisions of NBC. Go figure!
Pinterest’s “P” also symbolizes a pin. Pinterest’s logo looks like a white “P” surrounded by a red circle. The platform itself is named after the ability for Pinterest users to “pin” posts they like, as though pinning it to a board in real life. That’s why the “P” logo also looks like a pushpin, with the top of the “P” being the wide head of the pin.
Adidas
The three lines in the Adidas logo represent a mountain. Adidas is well-known for selling sports shoes and apparel, and its logo has had three stripes in it for a long time. In the most recent redesign, those stripes have been rearranged in the general shape of a mountain, symbolizing the “mountain” of challenges that athletes must overcome to become the best of the best.
Nike
Nike’s logo is symbolic of an ancient Greek goddess. Most people unaware of the hidden reference might assume Nike’s logo looks like a check mark of some kind. However, Nike is the winged Greek goddess of victory, and the logo is designed to represent one of Nike’s wings. Since Nike is a sporting goods company, the reference to a goddess of victory is fitting!
Levi’s
The bottom of the Levi’s logo depicts the cut-out of pockets. Levi’s is a popular source of jeans, and their logo reflects it. The logo itself is the company name surrounded by a red shape—and the bottom of the shape is curved twice, with those curves designed to match the cut-out of classic Levi’s pockets.
Gillette
The slanting edge of the dot in the logo’s “i” has a hidden meaning. Gillette is a company that sells shaving razors, and it’s incorporated in their logo, too. The “i” in Gillette has a diagonal cut in its dot, representing the precision of a Gillette blade.
Picasa
Picasa’s colorful logo represents the lens of a camera. Picasa used to be Google’s image organizer and editor. Thus, its logo is made to look like a camera shutter—and the negative space at the center depicts a house (since Picasa was supposed to be a “home” for people’s photos). “Pic” is often used as a shorthand for “picture,” and “casa” means “home” in Spanish—hence the name “Picasa.”
Audi
Audi’s four interlocking rings symbolize four different manufacturers. Originally, the car company Audi comprised four separate companies merging together: Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer. That’s why there are four rings in Audi’s logo—one for each company in the merger.
BMW
The blue and white in the BMW logo represent the Bavarian flag. The Bavarian flag is also blue and white—and BMW’s name is sometimes anglicized as “Bavarian Motor Works.” The logo may also represent the blades of a propeller due to BMW’s history with aviation. BMW’s logo is similar in appearance to the Rapp Motor Works logo.
Toyota
The Toyota logo’s rings represent its customers and products. You can see three overlapping rings in Toyota’s logo—which has been in use since 1990. Those rings are meant to symbolize the unity between Toyota’s products and the hearts of their customers, while the background symbolizes the company’s technological advancements (past and future).
Hyundai
Hyundai’s “H” logo also represents a handshake. Who knew there were so many hidden meanings in car company logos? The “H” in Hyundai’s logo doesn’t just represent speed; it’s also a symbol of a salesperson and a satisfied customer shaking hands, presumably after the customer has just bought a car.
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
The outline of the logo’s tree depicts a pair of animals. Looking at the zoo’s logo, you’ll see a green tree with birds flying around it. In the negative space, however, you can see the profile of a gorilla on the left side of the tree and the profile of a lion on the right side; it’s meant to represent the many different kinds of wildlife housed at the zoo.
Kölner Zoo
The negative space in the Kölner Zoo logo features additional animals. Germany’s Kölner Zoo has a logo filled with hidden references! The green of the logo is shaped like a large elephant, but the negative space between the elephant’s legs and trunk looks like a giraffe and rhinoceros. Additionally, the negative space between the elephant’s back legs references the famous Cologne Cathedral.
The Bronx Zoo
The zoo’s older logo contains the New York City skyline. The Bronx Zoo’s logo has since changed, but its previous logo features a pair of giraffes—one taller, one smaller—standing together, with a few birds above them. Looking at the negative space between the giraffes’ legs, you can also see the iconic New Your City skyline (which is fitting since the Bronx Zoo is in NYC).
Museum of London
The museum’s logo represents London throughout its many eras. On a surface level, the logo features the museum's name with a background of several different abstract blobs of color. However, those abstract shapes have meaning! Each shape represents the geography of London at a specific point in time, and together, they represent how London has evolved and continues to evolve.
Washington State University
The university’s cougar logo also hides its initials, “WSU.” The Cougars are Washington State University’s college football team, with a logo shaped like a cougar’s head. The stylized cougar head also hides the letters “WSU” (with “W” at the top of the cougar’s head, “S” making up the middle and mouth, and “U” being the lower jaw).
Toblerone
Toblerone’s original logo features a hidden bear. Toblerone chocolate bars are well-known, as is the Toblerone logo with a mountain on it—a symbol of Switzerland’s Matterhorn Mountain and the company’s Swiss roots. Within the mountain, there’s also a hidden bear; it references Toblerone’s home in Bern, Switzerland: “The City of Bears.” However, that logo is no longer in use as of 2022 because Toblerone is no longer Swiss enough to feature Matterhorn on its logo. There’s a Swiss law requiring products to meet certain requirements before using Swiss symbols, and after moving part of their production to Slovakia, Toblerone no longer meets those requirements!
Unilever
Unilever’s logo encompasses all the products it sells. Unilever is a manufacturer of many different brands and products, from nutrition and hygiene to personal care. Since there are so many products under the Unilever umbrella, its logo encompasses all of them: it’s a “U” made from symbols that represent Unilever’s wide range of core products.
MyFonts
The “My” in Myfonts looks like a hand. My Fonts is a site dedicated to hosting a wide variety of fonts for users to find and download. Its logo is the site name, “My Font,” with the “My” designed to look like a hand. It’s meant to convey the idea that users can go on My Fonts and get their hands on any font they want.
Eighty 20
The logo’s squares reference binary code. Eighty 20 is a South African analytics consultancy with a logo made up of the company name and two rows of blue and grey squares above. The squares have a special meaning: they represent the binary pattern “1010000” and “0010100,” which means “eighty” and “twenty.”
Continental AG
The “C” and “O” in the Continental logo form a tire. Continental is a company that manufactures auto parts (including tires), and its logo spells out the company name in black lettering with a yellow background. Additionally, the “C” and “O” in the name are close together, with the “C” wrapping around the “O” to make a tire shape.
Le Tour de France
The Tour de France’s logo has a hidden bike rider. As a world-famous bicycle race, the Tour de France has a logo to match. It features the name of the race with a yellow circle in the background—but the letter “R” also forms a hidden bike rider, with the yellow circle being the wheel of their bike. The circle is also symbolic of the sun, since the Tour de France only happens during the day.
Goodwill
The “face” in the Goodwill logo is actually a lowercase “g.” Goodwill’s logo is the organization's name and the corner of a smiling face. While the smile could represent the satisfaction one gets from donating and recycling things for a good cause, it also has a more direct meaning. The corner of the logo and the smile form a lowercase “g” for “Goodwill.”
Ray-Ban
Ray-Ban’s logo has a hidden pair of sunglasses. Ray-Ban is a super popular brand for fashion-forward glasses and sunglasses, and its logo is a nod to that. Although the logo spells out “Ray-Ban” in a stylized font, the letter “B” is also designed to look like a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses. It’s easier to see if you look at the “B” sideways!
LG
The logo’s “LG” letters form a face. LG products are known worldwide, as is its logo—a circle with the company’s initials “LG” inside it. The letters are also arranged to make a human face, with the “L” becoming a nose and the “G” making up the mouth and remainder of the face. It’s intended to give the logo a more human, welcoming component.
British Blind Sport
The logo depicts an eye within the British flag (and negative space). This charity’s goal is to help blind and partially-sighted people participate in sports within the UK, which is why its logo understandably features the British flag surrounding the organization’s name. Additionally, the flag’s shape and the negative space around the name are designed to look like an eye!
The Guild of Food Writers
The guild’s logo contains a spoon and the head of a fountain pen. The Guild of Food Writers is an associated of UK-based food writers and broadcasters. Its logo looks like a simple white spoon surrounded by a black shape—but looking at the black shape reveals that it’s designed like the tip of a fountain pen, combining the ideas of “food” and “writing.”
Yoga Australia
The continent of Australia is hidden in the logo’s negative space. This logo is another example of a designer utilizing negative space! The Yoga Australia logo depicts someone doing a yoga pose, but in the negative space between the person’s posed arm and leg, you can see the rough geographical outline of Australia.
Carrefour
Carrefour’s logo has a hidden letter “C” in it. The logo itself is also symbolic of the supermarket company’s name; “Carrefour” means “intersection” in French, and the logo depicts two arrows—a red one pointing left and a blue one pointing right. Additionally, there’s a “C” (for “Carrefour”) in the negative space between the arrow shapes.
Bird Love
The pristine Bird Love logo depicts a pair of birds in the heart. Bird Love is a Vietnamese coffee shop. Its logo looks very simple: the words “BirdLove” with a heart above them. However, the top and bottom of the heart are designed to look like flying birds, encapsulating both the company’s name and their love for classic Vietnamese coffee.
Lion Bird
The lion and bird depicted in this logo have separate meanings. This logo is a bit of a visual trick. It looks like a bird, but the shapes within the bird’s wings resemble a lion’s eyes—and the negative space around the bird fills out the rest of the lion’s head. The animals are also symbolic; the lion represents the brand’s aggressive tactics, and the bird represents power.
AG Low
AG Low’s logo spells the company name but looks like a floor plan. AG Low is a construction company, so having a logo that looks like a floor plan makes sense! A closer look at the shapes within that floor plan will also reveal the words “AG Low,” making the logo reflect the company name and function.
New Man
New Man’s logo can be read the same way upside down. New Man is a French clothing company, and its logo looks pretty simple: the words “New” and “Man,” one stacked on top of the other. However, if you flip the logo upside down, it’s designed to look the same. This reflects the idea that the company’s clothing can be used for many purposes!
Galeries Lafayette
The Eiffel Tower is hidden in the logo’s “F.” Galeries Lafayette is a high-end French department store chain with a suitably fancy-looking logo. If you look at the letter “f” in the logo’s “Lafayette,” you’ll also see an Eiffel Tower hidden there as a symbol of the store’s French origins.
Quiksilver
The logo is a stylized depiction of “The Great Wave off Kanagawa.” Quiksilver is a surf-themed clothing and accessory brand—so, fittingly, its logo is designed to emulate a very famous woodblock print by Japanese artist Hokusai called “The Great Wave off Kanagawa.” After all, what do surfers do? Catch those waves!
Roxy
Roxy’s logo is mirrored to create a heart shape. Roxy is Quiksilver’s female fashion line, so Roxy’s logo is just the Quiksilver logo tilted to one side and mirrored—but together, those mirrored shapes look like a heart. Roxy’s logo is designed to attract female buyers but is also a subtle nod to the original company, Quiksilver.
Sony Vaio
The Sony Vaio logo represents analog and digital technology together. Vaio (Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer) is now its own technology brand, though it was formerly owned by Sony. Regardless, the “Vaio” logo remains more or less the same: the letters “VA” are designed like an analog wave, and the letters “IO” look like the numbers 1 and 0 (which is a reference to binary code).
Sony Ericsson
There’s a hidden “S” and “E” inside the logo’s ball. Sony Ericsson was a joint venture between Sony and Ericsson, officially acquired by Sony back in 2012. While it existed as its own company, however, Sony Ericsson had a circular, futuristic logo with the company’s initials, “S” and “E,” hidden inside the circle.
Spartan
Spartan’s logo contains the profile of a Spartan warrior. Spartan is a golf club, so it’s no wonder the logo looks like a golfer swinging their club (with another broad line representing the trajectory of the swing). However, the logo also looks like the profile of an ancient Greek spartan warrior, with the golden color of the negative space being the helmet.
Hope for African Children Initiative
This logo depicts Africa as well as a mother and child. This nonprofit has a logo that looks like the geographical outline of Africa, with two shades of orange on either side. However, those orange sides are designed to look like two people: an adult (the darker orange) and a child (the lighter orange).
IBM
The IBM logo’s stripes are designed to look like equal signs. IBM is a multinational tech company with a logo that spells out the acronym “IBM” in blue lettering with white stripes. The white stripes are meant to look like equal signs as they pass through the lower parts of each letter—which are symbols representing equality.
Sun Microsystems
The diamond logo spells “Sun” multiple times. Though no longer in business, Sun Microsystems was a technology company selling computers and software. Its logo is shaped like a diamond, but the squiggly lines making up that diamond are the letters “u” and “n” over and over again, with some stacked together to make the letter “s” and spell out the word “Sun.”
US Cyber Command
There’s a hidden code in the golden ring of this logo. US Cyber Command is responsible for the government’s cyberspace operations, and its logo is fittingly complex. There are two golden rings, and the inner ring has a code in small, black lettering: 9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a. That code is actually the MD5 hash of the United States Cyber Command mission statement! MD5 is a 128-bit cryptographic hash; it’s used to verify the integrity of files. Thus, the code itself is quite a bit shorter than the US Cyber Command mission statement! The full mission statement is: “USCYBERCOM plans, coordinates, integrates, synchronizes and conducts activities to: direct the operations and defense of specified Department of Defense information networks and; prepare to, and when directed, conduct full spectrum military cyberspace operations in order to enable actions in all domains, ensure US/Allied freedom of action in cyberspace and deny the same to our adversaries.”
Washington Capitals
The Capitals’ logo references its hometown in D.C. The Washington Capitals are Washington D.C.’s professional hockey team, with a logo depicting an eagle in red, white, and blue. Makes sense, right? Well, there’s also a hidden element: in the negative space at the bottom of the logo, you can also see the outline of Washington D.C.’s Capitol building.
Atlanta Falcons
The team’s falcon logo is also shaped like an “F.” As the name suggests, Atlanta’s football team has a falcon mascot and a falcon-themed logo to match. The shape of the falcon is also very deliberate, forming an “F” shape. The falcon’s body is the top horizontal line of the “F,” its wing is the vertical line down, and its claw is the lower horizontal line.
Milwalkee Brewers
The baseball glove in the logo is made up of the letters “M” and “B.” The Brewers are Milwaukee’s professional baseball team, with a yellow and blue logo resembling a baseball mitt. There's also a clever reference to the Brewers there, with the letter “M” making up the glove’s fingers and the letter “B” making the glove’s thumb and palm.
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