Brands have long used animals to represent their identity. Some companies have chosen to use bird logos to stand as the face of their brand.
These animals can represent an array of traits. It symbolizes liberation, freedom, and reincarnation. Birds have symbolized this in literature as well as movies and other forms of media.
It provides a unique touch to any brand. This is important because brand logos need to create a unique identity.
Today, we are taking a peek at some of the most memorable avian logos in the world.
You will learn how big brands have made this animal work for their identity. Pick up on the dos and don’ts of incorporating this in your animal logo design, and, at the same time, gather inspiration from them today.
The most popular bird logos of all time
American Eagle
This all American brand uses the country’s national animal for its logo. It presents the bird using a silhouette-style drawing, which gives it a dominant appearance. This makes it look like the bird is coming at you from the sky. The black and white color scheme makes it adaptable and easy to apply to different materials such as apparel design and tags.
Penguin Books
The British publishing company chose to go for a flightless bird. Puffin is the left-facing penguin that you see on the spine of classic books. The designer behind this mascot logo is Edward Young in 1935. However, it was redesigned in 1946 by Jan Tschichold. The brand was going for a mascot that appears authoritative and flippant simultaneously. The image of a penguin managed to do the job.
Twitter worked with designer Simon Oxley who also worked for Github, Bitly, iStock, and other reputable companies. One of the most interesting facts about this logo is that it only cost the brand $15. The mascot of the microblogging site is also called Larry the Bird. The mountain bluebird was said to be named after the Boston Celtics.
This flat design adds to the modern and techie feel of this logo. It makes it easier to comprehend and, at the same time, displays better on digital devices.
Nestle
Nestle is a German word that means “the little nest.” Its logo depicts a family of birds sitting atop one. This literal characterization of the brand name features three baby birds being fed by their mother. The drawing has been around since 1868. Today, it has been redesigned with fewer details and smoother lines.
NBC
Featuring six different colors, the NBC logo creates a silhouette of a peaco*ck. This is one of the most colorful designs in the channel logos we see today. The meaning of the NBC logo is a reference to the channel’s color programming. In the old days, this channel logo even had 11 feathers with different colors.
Linux
The operating system is represented by Tux. This penguin character was picked by none other than the brand owner, Linus Torvalds. The story behind this is that Torvalds nearly got bitten by this bird. At present day, the company has a simple illustration of a front-facing penguin with its yellow flippers on full display.
Hollister
The seagull of this retail brand is depicted using its shadow. This particular bird is known to represent sailors and dreamers. The brand often displays this icon atop the brand name typography to create a coherent design.
The Original Penguin
The clothing line was created by a military garment manufacturer in 1955. Its best products are shirts, footwear, and glasses. It is also said that the golf shirts you see today are designed after Orignal Penguin shirts. This company's logo is made up of mostly text and a small drawing of a penguin on the side.
American Airlines
The logo of American Airlines has a dynamic look thanks to its shape and color. It uses slanted figures and gradients to help the design seem like it is in motion. The current logo was refreshed by FutureBrand, a design firm that has worked with brands like Nespresso and Fiji Airways.
Swift
The visual identity created by Apple is a bright coral icon featuring a swallow. Its silhouette is color white and sits at the left corner of the brand name. The logo has a vibrant energy, all while being reminiscent of Apple’s clean and minimalist identity.
More popular bird logos below
Duolingo
Cardinals
Hooters
Granny Goose
Dove
Turkish Airlines
Swarovski
Kiwi
Giorgio Armani
JAL
Toronto Blue Jays
Trip Advisor
White Owl
Baltimore Ravens
Chick-fil-A
Aorus
Conclusion
The logos above have shown you how to make use of birds to create a design that’ll stay in your audience's mind. You can use this illustration as the focal point of your logo as well.
Source the perfect custom logo with the help of crowdsourcing platforms like DesignCrowd. You can launch a logo design contest that will be joined by a community of freelance graphic designers. Receive up to 50 submissions today.
As an alternative, you can design one using the BrandCrowd logo maker. It has a gallery of designs featuring owl logos, phoenix logos, and other designs featuring avians. You don’t need design experience or extensive knowledge about graphic design to edit the font, color, and other logo elements. Try it today.
Read more articles about design and inspiration below:
- 15 Famous Logos 20 Years into the Future
- How to Create Your Own Business Logo
- 25 Famous Crown Logos
- design inspiration
- Famous Brands
- inspiration
- logo ideas
Written by DesignCrowd on Monday, January 25, 2021
DesignCrowd is an online marketplace providing logo, website, print and graphic design services by providing access to freelance graphic designers and design studios around the world.
