Logos. They're everywhere. You see them on the roads you drive on in the form of ads, you see them on TV being promoted by scantly clad women whose only talent is their very well-defined bone cheeks and their ability to say "vodka","gin", or "drink" in a very seductive bed room voice. Heck, you even see logos when you're trying to sit down and enjoy a nice number 2,and once you reach for the toilet paper and clean yourself off, BOOM!, your favorite brand X of tissue paper's logo right on the 2-ply you're about to wipe yourself off with. Multinational companies...how sleazy can they get? Logos even on the most sacred of pieces of papers...
I came to think how logos came to be. Yes, all of them have their own special little stories, but for me, most of the big, successful companies have hidden meanings in them. I mean hey, if they could put their logo on something as special as a piece of toilet paper, they gotta have some brainwashing details to their very logos,right?! Well, anyway. I've taken the liberty of compiling a list of logos and my own little conspiracy theories against them.
1.) Wendy's
The Facts: The founder, Dave Thomas, named the chain of restaurants after his 4th child - Melinda Lou Thomas. How "Melinda" was nicknamed "Wendy" is as mysterious as what makes their Frosties so damn delicious.
The Theory: Redheads. The world loves Redheads! Think of it, there's Shirley Temple, Queen Elizabeth, Bryce Dallas Howard!! C'mon, who doesn't love Bryce Dallas Howard?! Basically here's what Dave Thomas was thinking, "I'm gonna put my daughter's face on my chain of restaurants because every single living person just loves gingers, ergo, they'll be buying my burgers, salads, and epic-ly delicious Frosties". Boom.
2.) McDonald's
The Facts: It was founded my brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1940. The 2 Golden Arches were trademarked after the duo decided to do away with their original logo of a winking chef named Speedee in a chef's hat. Yes, naming their restaurant after themselves and making their mascot an overzealous cook. How creative...
The Theory: The arches are gold and phallic. What else is gold and phallic? Fries! Their delicious french fries that don't rot and mold is the basis of their entire industry. What's more is what is the color of Ronald McDonald's hair? Red!! Ronald is a redheaded clown! I rest my case. Boom.
3.) Starbucks
The Facts: Their logo features a two-tailed mermaid surrounded by the words Starbucks Coffee around it.
The Theory: Why there's a mermaid on a store that sells coffee boggles me. However, a mermaid on their logo is the perfect excuse for a logo for world domination. Think about it, mermaids in mythology were represented as evil creatures that lured sailors into their ultimate watery demise. Furthermore, Starbucks is popping up in every corner of the world. Hence, though it may not be red, but green (take note that green also represents vile thoughts), Starbucks is slowly planning the next step to world domination through coffee and their army of mermaids off the coast of Puget Sound in Seattle. Boom.
So yes, logos do have their meanings whether they me ethos or pathos in nature. However, every single logo out there is always, like communication, open to people's imaginations.
I enjoyed reading this, Frantz. Very interesting 'theories' on the meanings behind these logos. You may want to consider reading up on a communication theory called "semiotics". It may be of interest, since you seem to have a knack for deconstructing visual symbols.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that the mermaid logo is actually a tribute to an old galleon ship that was used to transport coffee beans from Africa to the American continent. The ship apparently had a mermaid figurehead. The ship sank in one of its voyages.