Having a distinctive logo certainly helps a business to get recognised – we’re all familiar with the stylised red letters of Coca-Cola or the Nike “Swoosh” – but logos are also great for communicating a message about the company itself.
Just as a logo can give a traditional or modern impression of a company, using designs from the natural world can create an image hinting at eco-friendliness, simplicity and unity.
Floral logos have become more popular as many businesses try to soften their corporate images and tap into “green” sentiment. Here are just a few:
Wal-Mart
The logo of supermarket giant Wal-mart (which owns ASDA in the UK) has evolved over time. Its latest incarnation is much softer and more charming than previous versions, featuring a stylised asterisk / flower that symbolises the organic and environmentally-friendly values demanded by many consumers.
Euro 2012
An attractive floral design might seem an unusual choice for a football tournament, but organisers are convinced the symbolism is a perfect fit.
“The symbolism of a plant that grows is fully in line with the aspirations of the two host countries, and I am sure that we will be creating history together,” said UEFA president Michel Platini.
The stalk and three branches of the flower depict the structure of competition, while the colours represent the flags of the host nations. The vibrancy of the colours projects a positive image of the countries and alludes to the passion and emotion of the tournament.
BP plc
In 2000 British Petroleum changed its name to BP and replaced its green shield logo with the helios symbol; a sunflower pattern in green and yellow.
The rebranding has successfully improved the public image of BP as an environmentally-conscious provider of alternative energy, despite evidence to the contrary. After the so-called “greenwashing” of BP’s image, a spill of 270,000 gallons of crude oil in 2006 received relatively little media coverage.
Labour Party
Labour has used its red rose logo in various guises since the mid 1980s, when the government of Neil Kinnock sought to move the party away from the left-wing politics of Michael Foot and towards the centre.
The new logo replaced the long-standing badge of the party, which featured the tools of workers (perceived as far-left, almost militant imagery) with a red rose; a softer and less divisive image. The rose is also strongly associated with red, the colour of the party.
Motability
The disabled car scheme Motability uses a cheerful flower motif and is similar in style to the Wal-mart logo.
Motability’s connection with flowers isn’t limited to its logo; in 2003 the company celebrated its 25th anniversary with a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. The garden symbolised how the scheme allows disabled people to travel to remote parts of the countryside.
Adidas
Adidas introduced its famous trefoil logo in 1972. Although this logo was superseded by a three-stripe design in 1996, the trefoil is still used on the brand’s Originals range.
The creation of the trefoil floral logo coincided with the 1972 summer Olympics and also represented the coming together of the continental plates.
Mahalo
Mahalo.com is a search engine powered by human editors rather than algorithms and has used a flower in its logo since inception.
“Mahalo” is a Hawaiian word that can be loosely translated as “thanks” or “admiration”. The flower in the logo could be said to represent both this meaning (we often give flowers to express thanks) and to illustrate the connection with the floral garlands synonymous with Hawaii.
ANZ
ANZ (Australia New Zealand Banking Group) is one of the leading banks in the South Pacific and a sponsor of the Australian Open tennis tournament.
In 2009 ANZ commissioned M&C Saatchi to create a new brand identity. Working on the brief that “life is getting more complicated, so ANZ is making banking simpler” the result was simplified lettering and the addition of a three-petal lotus design.
The three component shapes of the flower signify ANZ’s core markets – Australia, New Zealand and South Asia – with the central human shape showing customers and staff.
