Logo Research: Statistics of 500 Famous Brand Logos

We analyzed logos of 500 most valuable global brands in 2023 (the list can be found here). This helped to answer the following question:

What are the main design elements and principles used in the most recognizable logos?

Specifically, we looked at these logos from different angles: we looked at colors, shapes, visual elements, text and some other aspects.

Here’s what we discovered.

Table of Contents

Summary of Key Findings & Statistics
Blue Tends to Be the Most Predominant Color in Logos
Big Companies Prefer Fewer Colors in Their Logos
Black and White is a Popular Choice among Luxury and Clothing Brands
The Majority of Logos Contain Text
Circular Elements Are Widely Used in Logos
1 Out of 4 Logos is Square
Summary

Summary of Key Findings & Statistics

The most popular color in logos is blue. In fact, blue is the predominant color in 35.2% of the 500 most valuable brand logos.
Almost half (47.8%) of all company logos contain only one color. Additionally, 39.4% of logos are dominated by two colors. In other words, popular brands prefer using few colors in their logos.
Only 10.6% of logos are black and white. Out of them, almost half are consisting of text only. Black and white is popular among luxury and clothing brands.
The vast majority (94.6%) of logos contain text. Additionally, 76.2% of logos contain both text and visual elements.
Roughly, 1 out of 5 logos is consisting text only, meaning they don’t have any additional visual elements.
We discovered that 27.6% of brand logos contain a circular element.
Approximately, 1 out of 4 logos is square in shape.

We have detailed data and insights from our findings below.

Blue Tends to Be the Most Predominant Color in Logos

We found out that more than 1 out of 3 logos have blue as their predominant color.

To be precise, 35.2% of logos have blue color as the predominant color, suggesting that blue is the most popular color used among most famous brands.

Note: we didn’t count white as a color in logos.

The second most predominant color is black (27.8%), followed by red (21.4%). Black is often chosen in order to emphasize minimalism, while red is considered to convey powerful and energetic emotions.

Alternatively, pink and brown are the least used colors in logos.

The trend of blue color is not surprising, as it is a very versatile and widely used color in branding and logo design. This color tends to be very popular among tech brands.

It is considered to convey a sense of trustworthiness, reliability and professionalism.

Some of the big tech companies that have blue logos are Linkedin, Twitter, Meta (Facebook), Volkswagen and Salesforce.

Big Companies Prefer Fewer Colors in Their Logos

How many colors your logo should have?

The answer is simple:

The fewer the better.

47.8% of all companies use just 1 color in their logo, while 39.4% of companies prefer 2 colors.

There are a few companies that have 5, 6 or even 7 colors, but they are more of an exception.

An example would be the famous NBC peacock logo containing 6 different colors (7 if we count the black text as well).

We see that multi-colored logos can also be very memorable, but statistically they are less common.

Black and White is a Popular Choice among Luxury and Clothing Brands

Only a small minority of the 500 most valuable brands use black and white as their primary logo colors. In fact, only 10.6% of logos are black and white.

This is not surprising, as many brands use color to help differentiate themselves from their competitors and create a memorable visual identity.

We noticed that black and white logos containing text only is popular among luxury and clothing brands. For example:

Louis Vuitton
Gucci
Prada
Dior
Tiffany & Co
Cartier

…and a few others.

Black is a classy color which often helps to convey luxuriousness of the brand.

Also, they are commonly used in minimalist designs, such as the Apple logo.

The Majority of Logos Contain Text

94.6% of the logos analyzed incorporate text in some form. Most likely it is a brand name and/or tagline. It helps to reinforce brand recognition and awareness. What’s more, 73% of Fortune 500 companies use sans serif font in their logos.

A significant number of logos rely on text to convey the brand identity. As a matter of fact, 18.4% of logos are designed as text only.

These types of logos are typically very simple and straightforward, and can be very effective in communicating a brand’s message.

To convey brand identity, 76.2% of logos use a combination of both text and visual elements. This can include images, icons, or other design elements that help reinforce the brand’s values or mission.

New businesses can now even use tools like AI logo maker to see how different combinations of their logo might look like.

Note:
These percentages were quite difficult to define correctly since some of the brands tend to have different logo variations with both text and no text. So we looked at the most usual logo versions.

What is more, there are many logos that contain unique, specific and one-of-a-kind shapes. Most of the time they have some kind of meaning to the brand or its creator.

Sometimes this meaning is known to the customers, sometimes it’s not. The idea of inserting some kind of picture, icon or shape to perceive a story is used widely and helps to make logos memorable and recognizable.

Circular Elements Are Widely Used in Logos

From simple shapes to more complex design elements, 27.8% of logos contain some kind of circular element. This indicates that a relatively large percentage of logos incorporate a circular design element.

This could be a full circle, a partial circle, or a circular border. Circles are not only a visually appealing design element, but can also help convey a positive sense of completeness or unity.

1 Out of 4 Logos is Square

26.2% of the logos analyzed are designed in a square shape. This is not surprising, as squares and rectangles can be very versatile design elements, and can be used to create a wide range of different logo designs.

Squares and rectangles are inherently stable shapes, which can help convey a sense of strength, reliability, and professionalism.

Summary

Analyzing the 500 most valuable brand logos (of 2023) showed that there are certain design trends and elements that are commonly used.

These statistics can help marketers, designers, and other professionals to help form their own branding and design strategies, and help them create logos that are both visually appealing and effective in communicating a brand’s values and mission.

If you have any thoughts, we are always happy to hear them.

Our Study Methods

Our main goal of this study was to find what the “winning” logos all have in common.

To calculate exact numbers, we studied the global 500 most valuable brand logos. In order to generate info about logo designs, we took a look at each logo manually and collected this information: