Logo designs that lasted

A test of any logo design is it’s longevity, and while some brands seem to change as often as the wind, many do go the distance. A nip here, a tuck there but the idea remains the same.

Starting with General Electric, the 1900 GE logo featured and embossed circle and monogram, not much else has changed. Their have been half a dozen refinements since then but the original idea is alive and well.

Originally founded as Kwanon, the groundwork for the Canon logo was laid in 1953 and after two tweaks has remained unchanged since 1956.

The original BMW logo designed in 1917. Other that a little stint in the late 70′s where the logo was framed by a trio of semi circles, the basics have remained the same.

In 1976 a key selling point for Apple was its colour graphics as reflected by their logo, other than a dropping the rainbow as this technology became common place and taking on a little gloss, nothing has changed.

Originally designed around 1900 the Coca Cola logo design was refined to its current state in 1940 and other than a few surrounding elements has remained unchanged since.

The base for the Ford logo was design in 1912 with the blue background being added some fifteen years later. There have since been a few changes to the ellipse shape, and legibility of the type has been improved but the basics remain.

After a merger and name change or two, the IBM logotype was created in 1956 by designer Paul Rand. The logo went on to have a 13 and 8 stripe version but the type itself remained unchanged.

Originally drawn on the back of a postcard by co-founder Gottlieb Daimler, the Mercedes three point star was originally put to use in 1909.

After a few years sporting wreaths and a coloured background or two, the logo returned to its simple origins.

In 1901 the Shell logo featured a realistic illustration of a mussel shell before changing to the scallop shell three years later. After half a dozen updates the stylized scallop was developed in 1971.

The base for the current Volkswagon logo was designer shortly after WWII, it wasn’t until 2000 that Volkswagon added the blue background and little gloss to the design, as well as a change in the type weight.

How about your logo?

Do you think it will still be here in 50 – 100 years?