Target and Nike Logos

Interesting info on logos and whether they should be "blank slates" or more descriptive of the product or company. Consider two of the most respected logos in the U.S.

About Target's logo:

Yet all around us are demonstrations of how effective a blank slate can be. It's just hard to learn from them. I'd like to think, for instance, that I'd see the potential of a red dot in a red circle if I was designing a logo for a company named Target. But in truth I'd probably say, "What, that's all?" and not let it into the initial presentation. How, after all, could you guarantee that the client would invest 40 years in transforming that blank slate into a vivid three-dimensional picture?

The execs at Nike initially didn't like the "swoosh" logo:

It doesn’t do anything,” Johnson complained. “It’s just a decoration. Adidas’ stripes support the arch. Puma’s stripe supports the ball of the foot. Tiger’s does both. This doesn’t do either.”

Beware the marketing consultant who tries to justify her logo recommendation in terms of how it relates to your product or company. It's a pretty sure sign that she doesn't understand branding.

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