Businesses with creative logos build brand recognition faster. Since a logo is the core brand identity, people look at it first to authenticate a business’s products and services. You can get your logo designed in many ways—from straightforward logos to ones with hidden meanings.
Logos are everywhere: from products or services to marketing materials, and advertisements. They come in different varieties, such as wordmarks, letter marks, pictorial marks, and combination logos.
No matter the type of logo, they all share the same purpose and showcase significant meaning. Each of them carries a specific brand message that speaks volumes about a brand’s mission, vision, and core values.
However, there are logos that we appreciate for not being direct in terms of conveying a message. Instead, these logos carry a hidden message that when customers find out, revel in joy!
Business logo designs with hidden meanings set higher benchmark for quality. People remember such brands for their creative designs.
Best business logos with hidden meanings
If you, too, are thinking of having a logo with a hidden message for your brand, here are the best logos to take ideas and inspiration from.
01. Baskin-Robbins — Hidden number
Baskin Robbins is one of the largest ice cream chains in the world. The company is known for its ice cream specialty shops, which sell ice cream in 31 flavors. So, the number 31 is incorporated in the design in pink between the parts of the letters B and R. This conveys the message that the customers can try out a new ice cream flavor every day of the month.
This design lets you learn how to insert hidden elements in a logo. The use of only two colors, pink and blue, gives the design its visual identity.
Hidden meaning: 31 flavors of ice-cream that the company sells.
02. Wendy’s — Hidden word
Wendy’s, the fast food chain, has a custom logo of a girl, who’s said to be the founder’s daughter. The logo has two key elements — the red-haired girl and the brand name. The pigtailed hair goes beyond the black circle. The business name is written in hand-written typeface. Look at the girl’s collar and you may find the hidden word “mom” written. The hidden word gives a homely feeling and customers can easily relate themselves with the brand.
Hidden meaning: The word “mom” depicts home-like feeling, showcasing hospitality and warmth.
03. FedEx — Hidden arrow
The FedEx aka Federal Express logo is among the most recognized and respected for its unique but creative logo design. A chief attraction of the logo is its hidden arrow in the white space between the letters E and X.
By creating the arrow, the designer conveyed that the company delivers its parcels to the designation speedily. The arrow hints at the speed and direction associated with a logistics business.
So, while designing a logo, play with some of the elements. Know if you can manipulate them to design something in the white space. But ensure the component is just right and not out of place.
Know more about the FedEx logo history and meaning to see how this logo is legendary in every sense.
Hidden meaning: The hidden “arrow” in the white space indicates speed, persistence, and reliability.
04. LG — Hidden squint-eyed human face
The LG logo is another remarkable example of the best logo designs. This logo shows how the design has a hidden message for the audience. At first glance, the logo looks like it is winking at you that the company’s electronic goods are of great quality. The face’s “L” letters become the nose, while the “G” forms the face outline. All in one, it creates a squint-eyed human face that signifies innovation and adaptability.
Hidden meaning: It signifies the company’s dedication to maintain a close relationships with customers, bring in innovation, and render great customer satisfaction.
05. Pinterest — Hidden pin
Pinterest is a digital pin board where people and business owners pin their brand visuals for promotional purposes. The company’s logo is in the shape of a circular P letter. But the letter P also works as a pin. The red and white color palette builds the company’s brand identity.
This is one of the simplest logos thanks to the creative design idea and a monochromatic color scheme.
Hidden meaning: Pin + interest, creating visual message boards for branding.
06. Goodwill Industries International — Hidden happy face
Goodwill is a community-based organization that aims to make people’s lives easier. The non-profit organization’s logo features a ‘g’ letter. However, the custom logo design has been shaped like a happy face, indicating that people like the services. The letter ‘g’ lookalikes as the smiling face appearing twice at the top and the bottom with the full name.
This design teaches how to explore a letter or any other design element. Then, turn that into the main characteristics to convey a brand message. The designer used black and blue in the background to highlight the company name in white.
Hidden meaning: The logo features smiling faces showing the positive impact of Goodwill programs and services.
07. Tostitos — Hidden people, salsa & snack
Tostitos is a chips ad dips brand from PepsiCo. The hidden message of the brand in the Tostitos logo makes it memorable. The two “T’s” represent people as if they are dipping a tortilla chip into the salsa bowl, which is signified by the letter “I”.
At first, it looks like a wordmark logo. But upon looking closely, the creative logo design exposes the hidden elements.
Hidden meaning: The logo signifies two people enjoying a tortilla chip with a bowl of salsa.
08. Toblerone — Hidden bear
Toblerone is a Swiss company known for its special honey and almond nougat chocolate bar. But Toblerone is also a city famous for bears. So, the company’s logo has an icy mountain at the top of the wordmark, with a bear figure hidden in it.
This logo teaches how to manipulate images to turn them into your tool for brand messaging. The chocolate bar itself appears in triangular pieces, signifying the Alps mountain range.
Hidden meaning: The hidden bear in the logo signifies the origin of the chocolate brand.
09. Formula One/F1 — Hidden number
The Formula One racing logo is another glaring example of how some logos hide their meanings in the design. Its logo expresses the core values of racing sports. The logo features the number ‘1’ in the white space between the F letter and the red racing stripes. The red stripes also give the logo its color visual in the otherwise black-and-white setting.
Hidden meaning: The logo has hidden number “1.” It symbolizes power. Determination, speed, energy, and movement.
10. Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI) — Hidden child and mother silhouettes
Hope for African Children Initiative is an organization dedicated to the welfare of African children. The organization’s logo uniquely conveys this message. The logo features a map of the African continent. However, in the shape of the map, a woman’s figure and an African child’s face are hidden in the negative space.
Hidden meaning: The logo hides the map of Africa and a child and mother figure.
These are the top creative logos from our list with hidden messages. You can learn a lot from these inspirational designs on how to design a logo for your brand aesthetically. Such a visual contributes positively to building an identity that people can relate to.
However, when designing a logo, research the target audience and the company’s business first. You also need to choose the typography, colors, and images accordingly.
Create a simple but unique logo that viewers can understand at first glance. Therefore, avoid using multiple design elements. The logo should also be a versatile design that looks good in both colored and black-and-white versions. It should also be scalable so that the design does not lose its quality when scaled to bigger or smaller sizes.
Most importantly, test your logo and get feedback for improvements. That will give a perfect look to the design as your brand visual.
Wrapping Up
Creative logos are aesthetically pleasing designs. However, such logos have a hidden brand message for the audience. The logos mentioned above are among the famous designs. You can notice the clever use of negative space to create an unnoticeable hidden element at first glance. When you notice these hidden meanings, the logo becomes memorable.