Businesses, groups and individuals use trademarks, logos and symbols to generate brand awareness in public forums, in order to make it easier for people to recognize a product, business or individual by simply associating them with their trademark. Symbols have been used for thousands of years all around the world, so for an emblem to have made it onto this most recognizable list, it would have to be associated with people in more than one country.
The most successful logos are best described as being ones where the actual sign doesn't even need to be specifically noticed, because when people see a product or group they will instantly associate that product or group with their trademark or symbol within their own minds. However, for an emblem to be considered as one of the most recognizable marks, it would have to be easily identifiable by people the world over. While there are millions of symbols being used worldwide, only a handful of them can be considered truly universal and recognizable by individuals from around the world.
CORPORATE TRADEMARKS
Coca-Cola Distinctive Cursive Script Logo
In 1885, Frank Mason Robinson designed the logo and named the world famous soft drink. The red and white Spenserian script Cola-Cola trademark has been distributed worldwide and has become the soft drink of choice in many countries.
McDonald's Golden Arches
are probably the best-known restaurant trademark in the world. McDonald's started serving its famous hamburgers and fries in 1954 before the use of their famous Golden Arches trademark. In 1963, McDonald's introduced yet another recognizable trademark Ronald McDonald a brightly colored clown to greet children during special events and celebrations.
Nike Swoosh Logo
In 1964, Nike originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports, was founded by partners Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman in order to distribute a line of Japanese track shoes called Onitsuka Tiger, but as this relationship was drawing to an end the company's name was changed to the world famous Nike. By 1971, Nike was preparing to open its first store baring its new name and the famous Swoosh logo that was designed by J.B. Strasser. Through a well-managed combination of advertising, marketing and endorsement deals, Nike's Swoosh became known throughout the world as the leader in sport's apparel and sports equipment the world over.
Google Logo
In 1998, two Ph.D. students at Stanford University founded Google Corporation in a friend's garage in Menlo Park, California with an initial investment of $1.1 million dollars. Each year since its founding, Google continues to re-invent the way the world searches for information on the Internet, and because of the Google inventions and innovations, the world's information can be retrieved faster and easier than ever before.
Although, Google only uses the unique combination of blue, red, yellow and green font colors and the occasional variation of additional festive ordination to recognize holidays, the Google logo has became one of the most recognizable logos in the world. As of 2007, Google Search was the most used Internet search engine in the world controlling 50.8% of the market.
Virgin Group Logo
From Richard Branson's humble beginnings of publishing a magazine called Student Magazine in 1968 to controlling an International Empire consisting of more than 200 enterprises including Virgin Atlantic Airways, the second largest airline in the United Kingdom, Virgin Records and even a Virgin Cola soft drink, Virgin Group has become a worldwide recognized brand. Sir Richard Branson who dropped out of high school at the age of 17, so he could focus on the daily operations of Student Magazine has built his Virgin Group into a multi-billion dollar baby that continues to grow and mature.
ENTERTAINMENT TRADEMARKS
Mickey Mouse
The world's most famous mouse was introduced in 1928 by Walt Disney and first debuted in Steamboat Willie, although in the beginning Mickey was a black and white version of himself and not the brightly colored red, black, orange and white beloved character that the world admires today.
The Olympic Rings
The Olympic Rings is the most recognizable Olympic trademark in the world. Five different color rings (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Black) on a white field was selected so that each participating nation would have at least one of the colors in their national flag, with the rings representing each of the five inhabited continents, with America considered as one continent alone. In 1914, the Olympic Rings were adopted and flown for the first time during the Antwerp Games in 1920.
Michael Jackson's White Glove
Michael Jackson started his music career as the youngest member of the Jackson 5 and continued his famous career as a very successful solo singer and entertainer. While Michael Jackson is known for his moonwalk and dancing abilities, he is probably best know for wearing a single white and crystal glove throughout the 1980's, before his physical transformation began to show and overshadow the white glove in the 1990's.
