It is very interesting to find that some of the world’s finest organizations and service providers use multiple-colored logos.
Organizations like Google, Microsoft, eBay, and NBC TV are some of the very exclusive users of multiple-colored logos.
Students of marketing, designing, and brand communications have observed that the inclination toward multiple-colored logos has increased with the internet’s unsurpassable importance and the world’s becoming more digitalized.
The organizations that use multiple colored logos drive home the point that they are creative, multidisciplinary, prolific, and professional yet, at the same time, have candidness and relaxed attitudes in their ways of operation.
Multiple colored logos immediately grab attention and are a treat to the eyes. Some organizations, like toy brands, also go for multiple colors as they feel that they are rightly meant for their kids.
Why use Multi Color in Your logo
Multicolored Logos Are Playful And Creative
Monochromatic logos convey seriousness, prestige, and neutrality; on the other hand, colorful logos communicate that a brand is playful, open, creative, and informal.
Interestingly, many businesses with multicolored logos fall into the field of multi-disciplinary enterprises and tech companies.
For instance, both Microsoft and Google have multicolored logos, which shows that the companies have unending opportunities.
Appropriate for the kids
Multicolored logos are likewise employed for kids’ clothing, toys, food, and other products. The multicolored and bright packaging is enough to grab the kids’ attention.
The same can be applied to the case of parents, too. They tend to remember brands and products for children, which tend to be extremely colorful.
Although one will not be advised to use in excess of 3 colors in a logo, you will always come across some exceptions to this. In fact, it will not be a good idea to restrict creativity.
Below are some examples of reputed brands using multiple shades for their logo.
One of them is definitely Google, and the other that comes to mind is NBC News. Using more than one color actually helps to communicate diversity, as we have explained above.
Summing Up
However, it is of prime importance to ensure that your logo can work properly, either with color or without it, and this matters more than how many colors it should have.
A logo might be employed in different types of contexts, so it is vital to be sure that the logo is versatile.
A logo that will depend on colors is going to lack versatility. As a result, it will be prudent to design the logos first in monochrome and then include color afterward.
Multi Color Logos of Popular Brands
Apple:
One of the most respected companies worldwide, Apple is one of the big four in computer software development and anything related to computers.
The legendary late Steve Jobs was one of the founders. The Apple logo during the period 1977 to 1999 was an iconic multicolored one.
Lovingly, it was termed the Rainbow logo and was created by Rob Janoff. The bitten apple signifies knowledge. The designer added the bite because it would look distinctively like that of an apple only.
The rainbow color denotes displaying color images by Apple computers, which was very uncommon during those times.
Ariel:
An extremely popular soap detergent from the stable of Proctor and Gamble, a British MNC, Ariel, launched 53 years ago. The logo is also very recognizable amongst the relevant FMCG consumers.
Ariel branding in red, along with the icon of a complete reaction in multicolor, drives home the fact in the minds of the consumers that Ariel is something more than a good stain remover; it is an all-encircling complete detergent in all aspects.
AVG:
An abbreviation of the word Anti Virus Guard, the antivirus software was developed by AVG Technologies, with its stable release happening just about one year back in the Windows system.
The logo is symmetrically arranged with two pairs of hands in orange, green, red, and blue, with AVG in all upper cases and black lettering beside it.
Orange signifies brainstorming, creation of the idea, and start-up, while blue means solution discovered, and green is the start of the implementation process.
Red denotes a problem that has been identified which requires immediate action to clean the system.
Billboard:
An entertainment category magazine with a special focus on Hollywood, Billboard was founded in 1894 as Billboard Advertising.
Apart from publishing, Billboard also has a news portal and a weekly trade magazine.
The entertainment magazine is very popular amongst its readers.
The Billboard branding, both on its covers as well as in other media, consists of thick black lettering in lowercase with the inside circles of the letters b,o, a, and d in five separate colors: green, red, yellow, cyan, and orange.
This is possible to focus on its positioning strategy as an out-and-out entertainment magazine.
eBay:
Based in San José, the USA, eBay is a transnational e-commerce organization facilitating B2B, B2C, and C2C sales through its portal. Incorporated 25 years ago, eBay is now a multi-billion dollar business.
The initial logo was designed by Lippincott, the famed American brand strategist who points out that the logo symbolizes eBay as transparent, unswerving, and an easy place to buy and sell with modern outlooks.
This is from the fact that the fonts and the typefaces used have modern, sleek looks.
Fruit of the loom:
Incorporated in 1851, the Kentucky-based organization is one of the premium manufacturers and marketers in men’s and women’s underwear, T-shirts, casual wear, and lingerie segments.
From 1893 up to 1927, the logo was in an enclosed format, first in a square and then in an oval, with images of actual fruits like red apples, green and purple grapes, currants, and leaves.
In 1962 and 1978, the logo consisted of fruits but in colored line drawings.
The current logo consists of a red apple in the middle with the grapes, currant, and leaves by its sides, all in multi-colored line drawings. The branding in black is at the base of the visual.
Google:
Considered one of the Big Four globally in the field of search engines, internet-related services, online services, cloud computing, software, and hardware development, the logo of Google is one of the most recognizable logos in the world today.
The first logo was used in 1998 using the GIMP graphics program.
The color scheme in the initial logo was G and L in bright green, whereas o and e were in red, g was in blue, and the second O was in yellow.
Back then, there used to be an exclamation mark after Google. The color scheme has remained the same throughout, while the typestyle and fonts have changed over time.
Google Chrome:
Developed by Google in 2008 initially for Windows, Chrome is a cross-platform web browser that has also been ported to Android phones. The Chrome logo is a formation of two concentric circles.
The smaller one, which is in the center, is blue, the same one as the Google logo.
There is a white circular casing along the circumference of the blue circle. The outer circle is made of four basic colors, as in the Mother logo.
Google Wave:
Developed originally by Google, Google Waves, now known as Apache Waves, is software for real-time online collaborative editing. The initial release of Google Wave was eleven years ago.
The logo is a loose depiction of W in a 3D model consisting of the basic four colors: yellow, red, green, and cyan, the same as in the Google logo color.
ITV:
Commissioned in 1955, ITV is a London-based free-to-air channel preceded by Independent Television Limited. The channel was founded to give the BBC a big challenge and break its monopoly.
The ITV logo first came into being in 1989 with three primary colors. As a whole, a rebranding exercise was carried out, and the national logo and regional logo for franchisees were chosen.
Mall of America:
A shopping mall in Bloomington, Minnesota, Mall of America, has two seven-storied ramps and two overflow surface lots.
The current logo is an icon a star made of thick lines and the colors that have been used in its arms are pink, orange, yellow, and green.
In one of the arms of the star in the front of the shopping, mall branding is done distinctively in the black reverse.
Microsoft:
A key member in the league of the Big Four, Microsoft needs no introduction to anybody as to what its line of business is.
The connotation of the Microsoft logo has two versions. One is the four colors orange, red, green, and blue, which represent the earth’s bondage with flora, fauna, fire, and water.
Another version reasons that the four colors represent the various divisions of the organization, like Office Tools, Bing, Xbox, Outlook, and One Drive.
NBC News:
The news division of the major US National Broadcasting Corporation, NBC News, operates under NBC Universal Broadcast and is one of the major channels globally.
The organization has had several logos over the years of its operation but the most popular and the most important one has been the peacock logo.
Almost all variations of the colors in a rainbow have been used very effectively. The current logo is the peacock, which is effectively incorporated with the logo of the parent organization, Comcast.
Olympic logo:
Perhaps the most recognizable logo of all time, the Olympics logo is on a white background with five interlaced rings center aligned with the white ground.
The colors of the rings are blue, black, yellow, red, and green, symbolic of the five continents of the globe.
Notably, at least one of these five primary colors is present in the national flags of all the countries today.
Spectrum Printing:
One of the largest printing presses in the USA, Spectrum Printing is based in Maryland and has a network throughout North America.
The company has the latest printing machines with it, like a 5-color Heidelberg offset printing machine.
The logo of the organization is a square box each equally divided into four equal squares of the primary colors of offset printing, CMYK.
A stylized S in uppercase in white color is in the middle of the box touching all four colors.
Tap Air Portugal:
Tap or Air Portugal started in 1945 with Lisbon and Porto as its main and secondary hubs, flying to over 93 destinations globally. TAP is the national carrier of Portugal. In the TAP logo, all three letters overlap.
That is precisely the reason why one arm of A is a darker shade of green, and the other arm of A is a darker shade of red.
TAP is in green and red, with the branding of Air Portugal in black just after TAP.
Total S. A.:
One of the “Super Major” oil giants of the globe, Total S.A was incorporated in 1924 and operates internationally now.
Total S.A logo icon looks like a swirl, signifying the earth with color bands in red, cyan, blue, and orange, driving home the point that the company is one of the most important key organizations in the field of oil exploration, oil refining, and natural gas and CNG production.
The branding of TOTAL in post office red is placed next to the swirl.
Toys R Us:
Founded in 1948 in New Jersey and owned by True Kids Inc., Toys R Us is an international retail chain marketing children’s products and items like toys and other novelties.
The R in the company branding is flipped on the reverse side, positioning the product as fun for children.
The multiple colors used in the lettering are pink, light green, orange, and deep blue, all adored by kids and children alike.
The logo is placed on a light green background with white casings around all the brand’s letters.
The R in the logo is deliberately reversed to give a feeling that a child who has just started to read and write has done it by mistake.
Wacom:
Based in Japan and founded in 1985, Wacom markets and manufactures computer input devices, software, and graphic tablets.
The Wacom logo shows five silver-colored cones with circular bases, the colors of which are blue and green, two shades of pink, one light, and one dark and yellow ochre.
The cones meet at one point on top at their apex. The background color of the cone is black with Wacom branding at the base on the black reverse on the lowercase.
Wipro:
Based in Bangalore, Wipro is one of the most respected multinational companies. Manufacturers and marketers of the latest techniques in BPO, information technology, and software have also branched out into FMCG manufacturing.
The logo has been designed by the in-house firm of one of the most reputed advertising agencies in the world, WPP.
The logo is a formation of a whole number of dots of various sizes formed into concentric circles. The logo seems to present a show of optimism, inventiveness, and changeability in connection to the modern world.
Thus, The four concentric circles symbolize the core values towards employees, clients, business partners, and the trade that Wipro stands for.
Crayola
Crayola’s multi-color logo reflects the brand’s essence, mirroring the vibrancy of their crayon products.
The spectrum of colors evokes creativity and playfulness, making it instantly recognizable and synonymous with artistic expression.
Firefox
Firefox’s multi-color fox emblem embodies the diversity of the internet.
The fiery red-orange palette conveys energy and speed, while the shifting hues signify the dynamic nature of web exploration, reinforcing their commitment to user-centric innovation.
Instagram’s iconic multi-color gradient camera logo represents the app’s eclectic visual content.
The spectrum of warm hues symbolizes creativity, diversity, and the myriad moments captured by users worldwide, fostering a sense of shared experiences.
MSN
MSN’s multi-color butterfly logo reflects the platform’s evolution and adaptability.
Each color wing signifies a different service, portraying a unified digital ecosystem. The vibrant palette suggests a seamless, diverse online experience for users.
Opal
Opal’s multi-color logo echoes the gemstone’s play of colors.
The shifting hues symbolize the product’s adaptability in various lighting conditions, while the overall spectrum reflects Opal’s commitment to providing a range of vibrant and dynamic solutions.
Playstation
PlayStation’s iconic multi-color shapes signify unity and diversity in gaming. The vibrant combination of colors symbolizes the brand’s entertainment diversity, appealing to a broad audience and conveying a sense of excitement.
Slack
Slack’s multi-color hash logo represents connectivity and collaboration. The varied colors emphasize the platform’s flexibility, adaptability, and diverse communication channels, reflecting the dynamic nature of modern teamwork.
Tourism Austalia
Tourism Australia’s multi-color logo captures the country’s natural beauty and diversity.
The combination of earthy tones and vibrant blues mirrors Australia’s landscapes, fostering a sense of adventure and inviting travelers to explore its rich, varied offerings.
Vivid Ways
Vivid Ways’ multi-color logo epitomizes the company’s commitment to creativity and innovation.
The spectrum of colors symbolizes the diverse approaches and dynamic solutions the brand offers, creating a visual representation of its vibrant and imaginative services.
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