90s Logos: Iconic Designs of the Golden Era
Today's logotypes favor simplicity. You may notice that many well-known brands try to use more minimalistic flat shapes and sans-serif fonts. Even more mature companies are changing their logos to new and highly symbolic rather than defiant ones.
Two decades ago, it was a completely different picture when it came to logos. The 1990s were a time of bright colors, bold geometric patterns and exquisite typography. However, even after that period has passed, we can remember what the main engine of well-known businesses looked like back then, in a sense, the logos.
Additionally, the popularity of cartoons, bands, and sports in the 90s led to the creation of logos that resonated deeply with audiences, becoming cultural symbols.
In this blog post, we'll take a deep dive into the fascinating world of 90s logos, their impact on various industries, and the lasting nostalgia they evoke.
Hot Wheels
The Hot Wheels logo has remained the same over the years (until today) and uses red and yellow-orange colors to simulate flames. Previous versions of the logo featured Hot Wheels in plain white letters, but in the 90s, the logo adopted a horizontal gradient font.
During this time, the company moved away from the 3D look in favor of a flat design and a thin black outline. Parent company Mattel acts as a secondary logo throughout the design.
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network's seven-by-22 square grid with its name was one of the most recognizable television logos of the 90s. The squares were later reduced to "CN". Blocks of black and white were alternated in a fun yet powerful bold font, reflecting the fun nature of this network.
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon's 90s logo featured an orange tag with the company name. The color has not changed until now, only the design and the font itself have changed. It is intended for children aged 6-17. This bright color symbolizes youth, energy, joy and youthfulness. A custom sans-serif, rounded typeface with character features (see "O") was an obvious choice, as a serif typeface would have been too traditional.
Bubble Tape
The Wrigley's candy logo consisted of a bubble-filled font with a purple gradient bubble and an unusual font underneath. To mimic the tape-like bubble gum, an extended "e" wraps around the logo on the back of the letter "Tape". Several bright colors were used to evoke excitement and youth. The phrase "It's six feet of bubble gum-for-you-not them" (as in adults) was also used ("they") to appeal to their target audience.
Friends
The Friends of the 90s sitcom logo is an all-caps wordmark separated by six colored dots. These points represent the six friends. It appears to have been written by hand with permanent markers, reflecting the playful nature of the show and the lingering friendship. This series, like the logo, is known to a wide audience around the world, having made famous actors such as Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and others.
Barbie
Since its inception in 1959, Barbie's playful logo has remained constant, perhaps varying in thickness. The sweet, innocent and feminine characteristics of the brand are reflected in the hot pink color. The wordmark logo was a bold custom font that featured close letters and an assortment of angular edges and curves. In the 1990s, it was trending upward. Today's Barbie logo is the same color as the original Barbie, but written in italics.
Microsoft Windows
The Microsoft brand isn't only a cultural phenomenon or a trendy element of the contemporary world. The Microsoft Windows logo has undergone quite a few changes over the years; however, the most memorable was the one they had in the 90s. This logo was ahead of its time with its instantly recognizable four colorful quadrants and pixel elements.
ICQ
Derived from the phrase "I Seek You", ICQ's logo was simple, just like the service it offered. The online chat platform used a rounded sans-serif font in lowercase, along with a flower to the left of the word mark. Interestingly, the flower had green petals, except for one colored red, which symbolized an ICQ chat message.
Apple
The Apple logo is very different today than it was in the 1990s. because its logo was bright and colorful before. It stood out from many other brands in the industry. Currently, Apple has gone minimalist with the all-black Apple shape and is perhaps the most recognizable logo in the world.
MTV
The iconic MTV logo consisted of similar design elements seen in graffiti art. With a general concept of freedom and rebellion aimed at the youth, MTV did a great job of appealing to their young audience. The size and prominence of the "M" represented the network's exclusive focus on music in its early days and lived up to the name Music Television. The modern logo of this company is not much different.
Nerf
The Nerf logo featured a bright yellow text above a blue circle and a bright pink dot pattern. The logo itself is very energetic, reflecting the nature of the product and the brand's target demographic - children between the ages of 8 and 17. The uppercase font matches the brand's bold personality, while the text is tilted to the right, evoking a sense of movement and looking forward.
Seinfeld
The Seinfeld logo features a softly italic serif typeface with a slanted yellow oval, reflecting a mature yet quirky nature, given the comical (and relatable) situations of young people living in New York City. The yellow oval represents Jerry Seinfeld, who tells his stories to a comedy club audience, in the spotlight.
The Bell Saves the Bell
The circular Saved by the Bell logo is a unique combination of design elements that use 3 different fonts and colors that are not related to each other, maybe even slightly directing. This helps convey the joyous nature of the show. A larger font and the yellow color of the word "bell" was used to emphasize the meaning.
Tamagotchi
The 90s Tamagotchi logo featured a scrawled font that looked like a child had written in chalk. The combination of lowercase and uppercase letters represents the youthfulness and innovation of the brand, as Tamagotchi pioneered the digital pet trend. The hot pink lettering created excitement and a distinctive look on store shelves.
Walkman
Sony's Walkman logo featured a typeface paired with an abstract shape resembling a "W". All the letters (minus the 'L') are connected, which meant people's connection to music that they could take anywhere. And in the target teenage demographic, the separated "L" stands for the freedom you experience when plugged into a Walkman (you can listen to what you want and as much as you want).
Super Nintendo
Nintendo's gaming system has seen many changes over the years. In the 1990s, Nintendo went with a bright color scheme that used mostly primary colors. The company name was boldly displayed in italics and printed in red. This immediately caught the attention of consumers and set the products apart. At that time, this logo was one of the most modern and immediately became popular.
Final Thoughts
Indeed 90s logos were exclusive and reigned supreme and many of these businesses are still found in this modern world. Some businesses changed their logos, while others remained unchanged. Thank you for joining us and viewing our curated collection.
Credit to turbologo.com
