We see advertisements every day, and usually, we don't think much about them. However, if you take the time to look a little closer, you might find that some of these brand logos have a hidden message. These famous designs have been right under your nose the whole time and you never even notice the real meaning behind them...
Baskin Robbins
In 2005, the famous ice cream company introduced this new logo with a clever nod to its 31 original flavors. The number 31 can be seen written in pink on the design. The company was founded in 1945 by Irv Robbins and Burt Baskin. The idea was that with 31 flavors, a customer could have a different taste every day of the month. Sounds delicious!
LSO
The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) logo might look a little confusing, but once you see the hidden message, it makes more sense. Sure, you can make out LSO in this curly writing, but can you also see an abstract conductor? The L and O act as arms while the S is a person's body. This makes orchestra music so much better...
Tostitos
Tostitos are meant to be shared, and even the logo reflects this idea. If you look at the Tostitos brand logo, you might notice the dot on the "i" in the word. The two "t" shapes in the name look like people. At the end of it all, it looks like two friends are sharing some chips and salsa inside the brand's logo. That's some clever advertising hidden right under your nose.
NBC
NBC, also known as the National Broadcasting Company, has had a similar logo to this one throughout its entire history. NBC has also been called the "Peacock Network" and the reason comes from their secret peacock logo. It's called the peacock network because it was one of the first to offer color television. Nowadays, the design promotes its loud and bold broadcasting.
Vaio
Though Sony has since discontinued this computer range, the logo pictured secretly represents the brand’s integration of digital technology with existing analog technology. Notice how the “VA” in the name is cleverly designed to resemble an analog waveform. Additionally, the “IO” is a binary code. Only true computer nerds picked up on this hidden message, but it's a good one...
Hershey's Kisses
How many kisses can you count in this famous chocolate logo? Well, if you thought there were only two, you would be wrong. Look again at the space between "K" and "I" in "Kisses." There's a third kiss hiding in between the letters. The first Hershey's Kiss was introduced in 1907. Back then, all the candies were wrapped by hand. There was no machine for wrapping until 1921.
Coca-Cola
Though it was never their original intention, one 2013 campaign made an interesting discovery in the Coca-Cola logo. Turns out, the flag of Denmark can be seen between the "O" and the "L" in "Cola." The reason Coca-Cola is a red logo dates back to over 130 years ago. The barrels the drink came in were painted red so that tax officials wouldn't mistake it for brown alcohol.
Amazon
Amazon is a company that carries everything you could ever think to ask for, and they know that. That's why the corporation made its logo with an arrow pointing from "A" to "Z", signifying their wide array of goods available to customers. As an added bonus, the arrow also looks like a smiley face, with the arrowhead acting as a dimple on the brand's grin.
Beats
Beats are the popular headphone brand endorsed and created by artist Dr. Dre. Something fun about the logo is that the lowercase "b" in the circle is supposed to resemble a headphone. While they started selling only headphones, the company now sells everything from speakers to wireless earbuds. If you love music, chances are that you own at least one Beats Electronics product.
Cisco
Cisco is a reputable IT company, but that doesn't mean they don't get creative from time to time. In the lines, you might be able to tell that the design replicates the appearance of a magnetic wave. Less noticeable though is the resemblance to the famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. San Francisco is also a tech hub and bears their company name in the city name.
Milwaukee Brewers
This now-unused logo from the famous baseball team has one piece that most people miss. Sure, you probably were able to see the baseball mitt pretty quickly but did you also see that the letters of the team name are hidden in the design as well. Though the team has since retired this version of their logo, it remains one of their best ever completed...
LG
LG, also known as LG Electronics, is a Korean electronics company serving the entire world. LG stands for "Lucky Goldstar" which is a combination of the original name of the company (Goldstar) and it's merger company, Lucky Chemical. The logo has both the letters in it to make a face! Since it's designing, the image has not changed at all.
Unilever
Unilever is a multifaceted business, and they know that. That's why the company chose a design that displays all the different aspects of their business. Notice there are shirts, wildlife, animals, and more. Some are more metaphorical, like the swirl, which represents a "passion for great flavors and taste." See if you can name them all...
Gillette
The best a man can get deserves a sleek and classy design to represent this brand. This shaving company hid a small razor into their title, in the dot on the "i". It's subtle enough that most people miss it, but there's a razor blade there to pay homage to their leading product. They hope this subliminal messaging will cut through all the other competition...
Toblerone
This hidden message takes a little longer to find. You might think that's just a regular mountain, but look a little closer and you'll see a dancing bear in the face of the feature. This is an homage to Bern, the Swiss town where the chocolate was made. The city is known as "The City of Bears." Now that you've seen it, you cannot unsee it, right?
IBM
IBM stands for International Business Machines, but there is a hidden message in their iconic white line design. The entire logo is equally striped so that there can be an equal sign on the far right at the bottom of the "M". This represents the company's dedication to equality in the workplace. Changing their entire logo for this value demonstrates its importance...
Eighty 20
Market data research doesn't have to be boring. This company managed to incorporate the binary-code into the spelling of its name. By utilizing the blue squares in the design as being equal to one and the gray squares is equal to zero, that means that 1010000 (80) is the top line, while 0010100 (20) is the bottom. A lot of work for a very niche joke...
Sun Microsystems
Previously owned and operated by Oracle, Sun Microsystems was once a major computer manufacturing plant. Here's something that's pretty impressive though, the logo. The design is a perfect anagram and can be read in any direction. Try it out! Also, take note that the logo doesn't actually include an "S" anywhere. Creativity at it's finest...
Presbyterian Church
Believe it or not, this logo is absolutely filled with religious imagery. The symbolism is almost overwhelming. There are eight religious symbols hidden in this logo alone. In it, you can find a dove, a bible, a cross, a lectern, flames, a triangle, a fish, and a chalice. That's a lot of hidden imagery for one logo, but it's also clever advertising...
Spartan Golf Club
This logo is all about perspective. On one hand, you could look at it and see an ancient Spartan helmet. On the other hand, you might glance and be drawn to the image of a golf swing. Both of these are correct, and both are immensely clever. And even more impressive, it was made by students at Michigan State University. This...is... for... Sparta! Golf club!
Wendy's
Wendy's isn't exactly known for homestyle cooking, but it's pretty good fast food with a family backstory. Most people know the restaurant chain was named after the founder's granddaughter, Wendy, but did you know that the word "mom" is secretly written in Wendy's shirt collar? This was something thrown in to commemorate the founder's mother.
Chick-Fil-A
This one isn't exactly a secret, but it's definitely one of the most adorable logo designs on the list. Chick-Fil-A wanted to incorporate their signature chicken into every part of their branding, even the title. So, they put a chicken design in the letter "C" on all their signs. The smiling poultry face is now a fan-favorite. Now that's cute chicken!
Adidas
Adidas's symbol is meant to look like a mountain, but the reason why is pretty unreal. The logo has three stripes as an homage to the 1967 design. They never really meant anything but were supposed to be unique. It wasn't until the 90s that they slanted to represent a mountain. This represents the many obstacles people can overcome with their apparel.
Hope for African Children Initiative
This one is pretty unbelievable. The Hope for African Children Initiative works to help children of African countries who have been orphaned by AIDS-related issues or is dealing with life problems impacted by AIDS. You might see two things in their logo. You could either view a woman speaking to a child or the African continent. Do you see it?
Häagen-Dazs
You might think that this ice cream company is named after something sentimental or funny, but it actually means nothing. Creator Reuben Mattus came up with the word to because it was “Danish-sounding" and he wanted that same feel for his company. Their slogan is "Made like no other," but who knew it also applied to the name?
This social media site allows users to "pin" different interesting posts and images to their pages, sort of like pinning something to a corkboard. You might notice that in the "P" logo, you can see the outline of a pin. This is a clear reference to their pinning power, and that's good branding. Remember to pin this creative advertising for later!
Greenlabs
At first glance, this Greenlabs logo appears to just be a regular, simplistic tree drawing. However, look a little closer and you'll notice that those branches and leaves look an awful lot like the human brain. It emphasizes the strong intellectual capabilities of the company and employees, while also exemplifying their incredible eco-centric work...
Audi
The Audi symbol is an internationally recognized one. Four rings looped together seems pretty straightforward, but is it? Well, each hoop represents one of the four companies that merged back in 1932 to create the unit. DKW, Horch, Wanderer, and Audi all earned their spot on this logo by combining to form the Auto-Union Consortium...
Goodwill
The Goodwill secondhand thrift store has made shopping cheap and easy for millions of people around the world and their logo is very recognizable. The smiling half of a face conveys a warm feeling to new customers but look at the "G" in the lettering. It's the same smiling face included in the word! Now that gives you something to smile about...
The Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers logo has 3 different secrets in its design. The blue shape at the top is meant to resemble a whale’s tail. The green shape at the bottom is actually a ‘W’ to represent the Whalers. Also, the space between the tail and the ‘W’ creates the letter ‘H’ which stands for Hartford. The logo uses the team's coloring. However, there is no wording used on the logo so it may be confusing to what the logo stands for...
Iron Duck Clothing
Has there ever been a more perfect logo design than a duck clothes hanger? Though it appears to be very simplistic and obvious, this also demonstrates excellent graphic skills and well thought out branding. The clothing line has since changed its name, but the iconic logo remains the same, thankfully. They'd be quacks to get rid of it!
Taco Bell
Is the top taco chain secretly working for the devil? The number 666, often associated with demonic spirits, can be seen in the logo, highlighted in red above. The bell clapper forms the first six, then the inner mouth, then the outer lip. Together, they're calling together something sinister, and it's not just the hot sauces. Those delicious tacos were always too good to be true...
Food Photo Blog
Sadly, the rise of Instagram killed this platform, but the logo was incredibly impressive. The graphic designer managed to turn a dinner plate and utensils into a camera icon. It takes a second to realize what you are actually looking at, but the flat design leaves nothing to the imagination with this clever idea. Now if only that Instagram logo could change...
Infinite Love
The design features two hearts that form an infinite symbol, making this a perfect logo. Though incredibly simplistic, this logo perfectly matches the name of the company it is promoting. The designer also chose a strong blood orange background to help highlight the message. This symbol captured this corporation incredibly.
Tour de France
The Tour de France is a very famous bicycling race that brings in competitors and viewers from all around the world. The large yellow dot is meant to resemble the sun since this is an all-day event, but you might also notice that it doubles as a bike wheel. The "R" in "Tour" becomes a cyclist. The "O" becomes the back wheel. That's crazy!
Circus of Magazine
This forum for readers might not be well known by booklovers, but once you see their impressive icon you will always remember. This logo boasts a big top circus tent, or so you might think. Look a little closer and you'll see that it also forms a book with its pages open. That is some subliminal messaging done well and designed perfectly...
Yoga Australia
This is some seriously subliminal secret messaging. Notice that between the yoga master's leg and arm, she forms a hole. That hole is actually the same shape as the continent of Australia. That way, the iconography can include the name of the company seamlessly. Graphic designers really are incredibly creative artists when they need to be...
Mister Cutts
What do you see when you look at the Mister Cutts barbershop logo? You might either spy a pair of glasses and a mustache (commonly groomed at a barbershop) or a pair of open scissors (which are obviously used at a barbershop). Whoever made this design clearly put a lot of thought into their client's branding, and their hard work paid off...
Elefont
By using the "e" in the Elefont logo, the design is able to create an elephant trunk. Fonts are a great way to convey what your company is all about, and this corporation is really leaning into that idea. A clever logo shows that this company is exciting, creative, and willing to take on new challenges as a bonus. This shows that they're as smart as an elephant!
The Martini House
The Martini House clearly put a lot of thought into how they wanted their logo to look. The two martini glasses pushed together to form the outline of a house. Though it's just a simple restaurant, that doesn't mean they can't put it all into the branding of the place. After all, maybe one day it could become a huge chain and make this logo a huge deal...
Wiesinger Music
This is one of the simplest ideas brought to life, and it looks incredible. The WM (which stands for Wiesinger Music) is created using piano keys that are in different directions of each other. As an added bonus, it specifically showcases what the company does in a way that not many others can figure out. Excellent work by this graphic artist!
Northwest Airlines
Upon first glance, this logo looks pretty boring, but there are actually two hidden messages in this image. First, Inside the circle, there is both an "N" and a "W" to represent northwest. Additionally, the tiny triangle that creates the top left of the "W" is actually pointing to the northwest, like on a compass. The circle surrounding helps make this distinction...
Content header
Continental is a reputable tire-creating company, but you might not be able to tell that just by looking at their logo. However, look a little more intensely and you can see that the capital "C" over the lowercase "o" perfectly makes a tire shape in the negative space. It wasn't until the corporation pointed it out on their site that anyone even noticed!
Shelter
Homelessness is a huge issue in England, and this British company wants to help those people find help in the easiest way possible. To exemplify this value, the logo has a house shape inside the "h" in the title. This makes their message accessible to anyone who might not understand what they're conveying. Creativity can really be helpful...
Black Cat
How's this for spooky? Upon first glance, you probably don't see anything aside from some sideways lettering, but look a little harder and you'll see something looming in the darkness. The two "c" letters in the title are slanted to appear like cat eyes coming out of the background. Hopefully, it's not bad luck to cross a black cat ad...
Next
Just like FedEx, this company decided to use an arrow in its advertising campaign. Without much effort, this company uses clever placement and font to show you what it's all about, and that's whatever comes next. Sometimes the best thing for your brand isn't a difficult-to-understand design, but just an arrow showing everyone what you're about!
Caribou Coffee
The coffee company created this logo back in 2010. Before this, the caribou was leaping to the left, but they changed it to the right side this time. Why? Well, it's meant to represent the company is heading in a new path in the future. Obviously, the symbol is a caribou too. Sometimes it the small changes that really make the biggest impact on advertising...
Delta
Delta isn't known for great customer service, but the company does have quite a nice logo. This logo forms the Delta symbol, which is also the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet. The colors are the ones always used by the airline. It's not especially subliminal or crazy, but it's still a good reference to something only linguistics lovers will understand!
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium decided to go all-in on their logo, and it really paid off for the locations. When visitors see this logo, they might think they're looking at a tree in front of a fish pond, but look just a moment longer and they'll see a gorilla staring into the face of a lion. Hopefully, those two animals don't ever have to actually meet in real life...
BMW
In 1917, the iconic German car company was established. It was first an aircraft manufacturing firm. In 1918, the Treaty of Versailles forced BMW to stop creating aircraft, but the corporation held on to its heritage with the now-famous logo. The equal two white sections resemble a propeller and the blue quarters symbolize the bright blue skies...
The Bronx Zoo
Some people think animals shouldn't be in the big city, but in this logo, the animals are the big city. Look underneath the giraffe legs and you'll notice they create the shapes of skyscrapers. They even included the Bronx river separating the two! The famous NYC zoo comprises 265 acres consisting of parklands, habitats, and much more...
College Football Playoff
For all the sports lovers out there, this design contains a cool fun fact. The four laces on the football logo represent the four teams that will go on to compete in the mini-tournament. It's a huge honor to be able to play in one of these games, but even the biggest fans of the sport probably don't know this fantastic and quirky little tidbit...
FedEx
FedEx is a shipping company that promises "If it fits, it ships, anywhere in the country for a low flat rate!" Unfortunately, the couldn't fit that slogan into the design, so they just went with dual colors and...a hidden arrow? Yes, right between the "E" and the "x" you can find a white arrow, representing their commitment to shipping...
Night Golf
Shadowing is important in all types of artistic endeavors, even branding logo designs. For example, the company Night Golf made a normal white golf ball shine like the light side of the moon. Sometimes it is the space that is surrounding the important image that can create something truly unique and worthy of incredible advertising...
Merck
This pharmaceutical company made the decision that just because they handle pretty noneventful goods, that doesn't mean they can't create a clever logo. The end result became this flower-like design. However, if you look closer you can tell that the logo is actually a capsule shape and two pill shapes. What a creative take on pharmaceutical products!
Toyota
There's more than meets the eye when it comes to this famous car brand's logo. The three overlapping ovals are more than just aesthetically pleasing, they also symbolize the "unification of the hearts" between brand and customer. Even cooler, the overlapping ovals can eventually spell out "Toyota." Most of all though, it just looks like a "T"...
Quiksilver
Surfers love this fantastic boarding brand, but there's more beyond the mountain. The image is based on a famous painting, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, which hides a mountain in the back of the iconic drawing. Here though, the company brings that mountain to the front with this simplified and reputable design. Hang ten, Quiksilver!
Hyundai
This South Korean car company might seem boring, but they've got some tricks up their sleeve...maybe literally. The symbol of the cars is actually an abstract interpretation of two men shaking hands, meant to symbolize the customer and company. At least, that was what they were going for, but some ideas are better in your head than on paper...
Levi's
Though it is sometimes called the "batwing" logo because of the two curves on the bottom, these jeans have nothing to do with bats. Those curves were supposed to resemble the hems of bellbottom jeans, which were very in style when this logo was designed. Hey, maybe those apple bottom jeans will make a comeback eventually...
Formula 1
Many people think that it's the "F" that represents "Formula" and it's the spikey red design that represents the "1". However, the "1" can be found somewhere else...look in the area between the red and black. Do you see it? The red design doesn't mean anything special, but it sure is exciting to look at...