A-Z of branding: brandmarks

A brandmark is a symbol that sits with a brand. Some brand are typographic based such as the Science Museum and in fact our logo, Hello Lovely, which uses P22 Zaner as the font. Other logos may use a mark such as the Cambridge Schools Chaucer which Berenice designed (shown here on one of the book covers). 

Brandmarks can be literal, abstract, symbolic or designed through a play on images or words. They tend to fall into categories based on creation and use. 

Signature marks create a relationship between the words and the mark. Clare Wilson's Profitkite logo brings the use of a kite together with her business name,

ProfitKite designed by Hello Lovely

Word marks are a play on acronyms or the name, designed to play with the letters to create an identity. Google and the Tate are great examples of both.

Letterforms use shapes to show a shape, using the positive and negative spaces. HP is an example of a branding trial that was consigned to history until 2016 when it was given new life.

Emblems and pictoral marks are pictures that create visual links. Apple's logo with the bite has remained consistent since it was a rainbow stripe on a Mac Classic way back in the 1990s.

Abstract marks convey an idea through shapes and ambiguity. Jemima Willcox's logo, designed by Hello Lovely uses a stylised shutter. 

If you're back from the summer break and brimming with ideas for a new look then get in touch, branding is one of many areas of design that Hello Lovel like to get creative with.