So, you’ve already laid all the groundwork for your business. Your resources are ready, you have proper financial planning, and you have a pretty clear picture of who your target audience will be. You’ve also built a strong branding strategy that includes designing an effective brand logo. But wait, do you know what type of logo will work best for your business? Is it symbols, wordmarks, lettermarks or letter combination logos? Each of these varieties has its way of communication, which may or may not resonate with your business. However, there’s one logotype that you can possibly never go wrong with – letter combination brand marks. Here, a wordmark is combined with a lettermark to create a lasting impression.
Almost all startups and even established brands opt for letter combination logos, and the reason is quite obvious. Only a handful of brands are identifiable without reading their name. Only big brands like Nike, Starbucks, Twitter, Target, and Apple can easily get away with just a symbol. Wordmarks are quickly identifiable but are typically long, difficult to remember, and don’t scale well. On the flipside, lettermarks are a lot easier to memorize and apply than the other varieties. So, if you want to build a strong brand identity that makes your business stand out, letter combination logos are a great option.
Top Letter Combination Logos that Spell Creativity
The design choices that go into your brand logo are infinite: colors, shapes, layout, typeface … it can get a bit perplexing. Even small factors can go a long way in making or breaking your brand’s image, which is why you should leave the job of logo designing in the hands of an experienced design agency. Of course, you don’t want to represent your company with a poorly planned and executed logo. Below, we’ll discuss some big brands that made the most of letter combination logos.
1. Sun Microsystems
This iconic combination logo consists of the wordmark, Sun Microsystems, along with a graphic lettermark resembling a diamond shape. The latter has the letters “U” and “N” placed close to each other to represent the word “SUN”, which can be read from every direction. This gives the logo a universal status, just like the real sun that’s present everywhere. It also denotes consistency, which is a key feature of their brand values and services. The purple color of the Sun Microsystems logo represents sovereignty, wisdom, and strength, as witnessed in the case of strong medieval kingdoms headed by strategic rulers.
2. Louis Vuitton
The Louis Vuitton logo, commonly referred to as the LV logo, is one of the most widely recognized and used fashion logos ever. This letter combination logo consists of the full wordmark, Louis Vuitton, and a lettermark, which is also extensively used on a wide range of products from the luxury brand. The characters “L” and “V” in the lettermark are interlocked in an intricate way, yet being pretty legible. Below the lettermark, there’s the “Louis Vuitton” wordmark. Talking of the color palette, the super brand uses two versions — the versatile monochrome one that looks good on just about any surface or background, and the soft, golden tone that exudes classiness and depicts the essence of the luxury fashion brand.
3. Michael Kors
Michael Kors is a globally recognized, award-winning American brand that specializes in the production and sale of luxury shoes, clothing, and fashion accessories. The logo of the world-famous fashion brand has remained constant over the years and was first designed by Michael Kors, the famous fashion designer himself. The combination logo consists of two parts – the legendary lettermark and the wordmark below. The former consists of the initials “M” and “K”, with the left leg of the “M” extending into the right vertical leg of the “K”. These initials are placed inside a bold circular shape, with a wordmark below it – the brand name “Michael Kors” in capital letters. The chic, simple lettermark without sans serif stands for their high quality of products. Although the official logo colors are black, white, and gold, exclusive and limited range products feature a solid gold or metal gilded logo with artificial diamonds.
4. Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins, a renowned American international chain of ice cream and cakes, is currently a part of the Dunkin’ Brands Group. The brand’s iconic pink and blue logo features a huge “BR”, with the wordmark Baskin Robbins below. The lettermark is unique and even conveys a hidden message. Notice the number 31 (the curve of the ‘B’ and the stem of the ‘R’) that stands for the company’s signature number of flavors. Although the company has launched over 1,000 flavors since 1945, the brand has decided to stick to the iconic 31 figure as part of its identity. This was probably done on purpose to motivate visitors to come back each day of the month for a brand new exciting flavor. The zig-zag font and playful color scheme represent a fun and happy mood, much like how you’d experience while enjoying their ice creams. The current logo uses a commercial font, similar to the Variex Regular.
5. Gucci
One of the most recognizable names in the fashion industry, Gucci is a luxury fashion label, typically dealing in high-end clothing and leather items. Featuring a double “G” in its lettermark, this emblem has become an integral part of the company’s identity, widely seen on the buckles of their shoes, belts, bags, on textile prints, and embossed leather goods. The wordmark “GUCCI” is placed above the emblem. The famous interlocking GG in a modern sans-serif typeface stands for the full name of its founder – Guccio Gucci. The curve, spacing, and contrast between the letters in the wordmark bring out the class and professionalism of the brand. As for the color palette, Gucci’s official logo is executed in monochrome, which facilitates easy placing on various patterns and backgrounds as per requirement. The additional palette features the three-striped pattern, composed of two dark green horizontal stripes and a red one in the center. The exotic red and green combination stands for grandeur, class, growth, wealth, and passion, and these are exactly what the brand wants to convey to its customers through its high-end products.
6. Cartoon Network
Established in 1992 in the US, the Cartoon Network channel focuses on cartoons and animated series for children, including popular TV shows like Ninjago, Ben 10, Peppa Pig, and The Flintstones. Minimalist yet striking, the channel’s first logo was crafted in 1992 and got only shorter in the following years, however retaining its original design and a black-and-white color palette. The current logo is a flat simplified version of the previous logo, which had two overlying squares, with a gray shadow. While the left square was black and featured a white “C”, the right one was white with a black “N” on it. The wordmark “Cartoon Network” in all capitals was situated under the lettermark. The present one still has these two squares, but the 3D effect was gone. The wordmark featuring the full name of the company is still placed below the emblem, using the same Eagle font from the earlier version. Coming to the color palette, black symbolizes status, excellence, courage, and determination, whereas white expresses clarity, kindness, and positivity.
7. Chanel
One of the most famous fashion houses in the world, Chanel was created in 1910 by a legendary figure, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. The brand that was once famous for its iconic little black dresses, today also deals in makeup and skincare products, fragrances, sports equipment, fine jewelry, watches, eyewear, and a range of fashion accessories across the world. Today the brand, famous for its little black dresses, has not only women’s fashion line, but also cosmetics and sports equipment, and of course, perfume, distributed all over the globe.
The brand logo was created in 1910 by the owner herself and features two interlocked Cs placed against each other. The wordmark ‘CHANEL’ is placed below the emblem in bold letters. While some say that the twin “C” is an abbreviation for the owner’s name, Coco Chanel, others think that those are just two horseshoes for attracting good luck. As for the font, Chanel used her handwriting, and a unique type was created out of it. Later on, this font type was named “Chanel”, which is strictly copyrighted.
Final words,
The biggest benefit of using letter combination logos is that once people come to recognize your brand, it’s easier to scale your logo and use it in various ways. Sometimes, you can use just the lettermark or the wordmark, depending on the situation and your convenience. Designing your brand’s logo is an inventive and fun process that builds and strengthens the base of your business identity. If you’re still a little confused and looking for some unique combination logo ideas, work with an experienced design agency with thorough proficiency in this field.
Business Development Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the Media and Digital marketing sector, Passionate about innovation and bringing the future into new business solutions.
