Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 20 hidden messages in famous logos.
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00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 hidden messages
00:07 in famous logos.
00:16 This baseball team's logo has changed a ton over the years, and it wasn't until
00:20 1978 that this clever ball-and-glove emblem surfaced.
00:23 Which, by the way, just so happens to represent the letters "M" and "B" for the team's
00:28 name.
00:29 What's even more satisfying is that this design was completed by an art history student
00:33 as part of a new logo competition by the team, and the student absolutely nailed it.
00:38 It represents a massive improvement over the previous "Barrelman" logo, and it just
00:42 screams "put me on a cap and jersey".
00:56 Imagine your brief is this.
00:58 Make an iconic logo from the letters "L", "S" and "O".
01:01 Something that's classy, and representative of music.
01:04 Something that won't look out of place alongside the names "Beethoven" and "Tchaikovsky"
01:07 on a poster.
01:08 Well, the result was this - a cursive script logo containing said letters, that just so
01:12 happens to form the shape of a conductor holding a baton, as if guiding an orchestra.
01:17 This logo has received several awards for its genius outline, and it's one of those
01:21 "once you see it, you can't unsee it" kind of designs.
01:24 It's stylish, subtle, timeless and elegant - a bit like classical music.
01:35 Get ready to put your thinking caps on next, because this one is a little more convoluted.
01:39 At a glance, the Toyota logo is a mishmash of different ovals, creating a vague letter
01:44 "T" standing for Toyota, right?
01:46 Well, the Japanese brand claims that it is much more than that.
01:49 Toyota says that its three-oval logo represents the brand's three core values, all intertwined.
01:55 One, the heart of the customer, two, the heart of Toyota as a brand, and three, the world
02:00 embracing the brand.
02:01 There's a ton of other easter eggs, too.
02:05 Toyota can be spelled out with the various different oval shapes, it kind of looks like
02:08 a steering wheel, and the different thicknesses of lines used for each oval are said to be
02:12 a nod to Japanese calligraphy and culture.
02:15 And here's us thinking it was just the letter "T".
02:18 Duh.
02:19 We wanted to bookend this logo with Toyota, because they're kind of similar, both being
02:27 a logo within a logo within a logo.
02:30 Firstly, this trademark is a cube within a cube, which looks cool and represents the
02:34 actual physical shape of the GameCube console itself.
02:38 But, said cubes are also sneakily hiding the abbreviated "G" and "C" letters of
02:42 the GameCube name.
02:44 The outer cube is the "G", and the negative space between the two cubes is the "C".
02:49 Mind blown.
02:50 The GameCube famously went head to head with the PlayStation 2, and well, it didn't come
02:54 out on top.
02:55 Consoles aside, though, if it was a battle of logos, the Nintendo-branded GameCube wipes
02:59 the floor with it.
03:03 We're back to clever yet simple designs next, with the "Hope for African Children"
03:07 initiative having arguably the most heartwarming message around.
03:10 The logo takes the form of the continent of Africa, but look closer and you will see the
03:14 outlines of a child and an adult looking at each other.
03:17 Given its brand values and its focus on humanitarian aid, particularly when it comes to vulnerable
03:21 children, this iconography perfectly represents the hope that accompanies the brand.
03:26 And it's so subtle.
03:27 I mean, if you actually look at the shape of the continent of Africa, the logo isn't
03:30 that much of a stretch.
03:32 Which is what makes it so iconic.
03:37 Fast food chain Wendy's rethought its logo in 2012, freshening up its freckle-faced
03:42 mascot and opting for a casual font.
03:44 Wendy's signature smile remains, as does her ruffled collar, but the button has been
03:48 moved ever so slightly upwards.
03:50 No big deal, you might say, but the new shape appears to spell out the letters "M-O-M",
03:56 as in "Mom".
03:57 As in, our food is as good as Mom's home cooking.
03:59 Company execs say the hidden link is unintentional, but logo buffs are positive that it was done
04:04 on purpose.
04:05 Either way, it gives a whole new meaning to parental guidance.
04:13 The famous golden arches haven't always been the symbol of choice for McDonald's.
04:17 When the fast food giants started up in the 1940s, the brand mascot was Speedy, a quick-to-serve
04:22 chef with a smile.
04:23 The arches were an architectural design initially, used for the first franchise stores in the
04:27 50s.
04:28 The "M" or "Golden Arches" logo came next, and is now one of the most recognisable
04:33 insignias on the entire planet.
04:35 But some believe the "M" is more than just a starting letter.
04:39 According to psychologist Louis Cheskin, the shape works wonders on the subconscious and
04:43 reminds customers of a pair of nourishing breasts - those of Mother McDonald in particular.
04:49 What do you suppose Ronald would make of that?
04:56 The story behind the Apple logo is an ever-changing one.
04:59 Some theories say that it represents knowledge, based on the biblical connection to Adam,
05:02 Eve and the Garden of Eden, as well as an apple being Isaac Newton's inspiration.
05:07 Logo designer Rob Janoff has previously insisted that the image was only made with aesthetics
05:11 in mind.
05:12 Other whispers from the tech giants suggest the symbol is a nod to computer science pioneer
05:16 Alan Turing, who died eating an apple laced with cyanide, therefore inspiring the bite
05:21 out of Apple's logo.
05:23 However, Janoff says the bite is only to give a sense of scale, and when asked if the link
05:27 to Turing was true, Steve Jobs famously replied, "God, we wish it were".
05:32 We've got another sports logo for you next, and it's one of the most extensive badges
05:38 on this list.
05:39 Sure, at a glance it's a golfer swinging their club, with a giant whoosh arching from
05:43 top to bottom.
05:44 But that whoosh also forms the part of a Spartan's helmet, and the golfer's silhouette helps
05:48 form the Spartan's face.
05:54 Honestly, this logo is more of an optical illusion than anything else, because some
05:59 may only see a Spartan and not a golfer.
06:01 It truly is a masterclass in graphic design.
06:04 A hole in one, you might say.
06:08 Playing the lottery is all about luck.
06:09 Make sure you carry a four-leaf clover, rabbit's foot, horseshoe, and of course, cross your
06:13 fingers.
06:20 The National Lottery logo leans into the latter, with its blue smiley face mascot also representing
06:25 a hand with its fingers crossed.
06:27 The fingers helping create the eyes of this face is inspiring, and for good measure, it's
06:31 also in the Union Flag's iconic deep red and blue hues.
06:35 The UK's state franchise National Lottery has been bossing this logo since it was launched
06:40 in 1994, and although it's been tweaked a little bit, it has remained virtually unchanged.
06:47 The hidden message in this logo requires a little bit of sleuthing to uncover it.
06:51 It's an interesting, patriotic emblem, sure, with a globe encompassing the US Cyber Command's
06:56 commitment to worldwide cyber security.
07:00 However, have you ever noticed the 32-character code surrounding the gold inner rim?
07:08 Well, they represent the MD5 hash of the group's mission statement.
07:12 An MD5 hash being a 128-bit cryptographic code used to verify message data integrity,
07:18 obviously.
07:19 In other words, this 32-character code is a shortened version of what US Cyber Command
07:23 stands for.
07:24 It's hardly a catchy quip, but hey, they're in the business of cyber security.
07:28 It's supposed to be esoteric and confusing.
07:42 Speaking of things only understood by a select few, how is your legacy anti-digi knowledge?
07:47 The VIO logo is multifaceted.
07:48 Firstly, the VIO letters stand for Visual Audio Intelligence Organiser.
07:53 The logo itself is made up of two parts, the VA and the IO.
07:57 The first part is designed to look like a sine wave, or analogue wave, and the IO is
08:01 actually supposed to represent binary code.
08:04 Together, these are supposed to show the merging of analogue and digital signals, or the progress
08:09 and journey of technology.
08:15 Tostitos are a must-have on movie night and a campout classic, but if you're ever unsure
08:19 of exactly how to eat them, well, just take a look at the packaging.
08:23 The second and third Ts are actually people like you and me, or whoever else you happen
08:27 to be sharing with, while above the I, there's a bowl of red flavoured dip.
08:31 We're guessing salsa.
08:32 And the triangle of yellow is a Tostitos chip itself.
08:35 The only thing this logo doesn't tell us is how two snackers are able to split one
08:40 chip.
08:41 I mean, that's a serious friendship test right there.
08:47 At first glance, the sign for the Bronx Zoo is a silhouette of two giraffes and three
08:55 birds in flight.
08:56 But look closer at the negative space and you see a city skyline made up of NYC-inspired
09:01 skyscrapers.
09:02 Not only is this logo a clever use of shape, but it also perfectly sums up what the Bronx
09:06 Zoo is all about - magnificent animals in the middle of a metropolis.
09:10 The zoo changed its branding in 2015 in line with the Wildlife Conservation Society, a
09:14 conservation organisation that manages it, but the giraffes of the past are still genius.
09:23 Company initials, pink and blue lettering, there's nothing else to it, right?
09:27 Wrong.
09:28 The logo for the world's biggest chain of ice cream specialty shop, Baskin-Robbins,
09:31 also incorporates the brand's signature claim to 31 flavours, one for every day of
09:36 the month.
09:37 If you read only the pink part, then the magic number magically appears.
09:40 It's an uncomplicated message, which really is hidden in plain sight.
09:43 Of course, since company founders Bert and Erv set out their stall in 1945, hundreds
09:48 of unique flavour combinations have been created.
09:51 But at Baskin-Robbins' ice cream recor, the original number still holds up.
09:55 And even though the logo has been tweaked from the one most of us probably know, it
09:59 still contains the sacred three and one digits.
10:13 At Bicycle Racing's flagship event, we find one of the cleverest rebrands in recent history.
10:18 French designer Joël Guénon created the Tour de France logo for the 2003 race, which
10:22 was also the 100th anniversary of the Tour.
10:25 A break away from the event's once corporate-looking crest, it features a dynamic font and a dash
10:30 of yellow in line with the famous jersey given to the race leader after each stage of the
10:34 event.
10:35 But look closely at the yellow circle, and the R that overlaps it, and you can see a
10:39 cyclist hunched over his front wheel.
10:42 It's subtle, but it's brilliant.
10:46 There's a lot of different brands from a lot of different industries that sit within
10:49 the consumer goods company Unilever, and looking at its logo design, it's clear that Unilever
10:54 wants you to know it.
10:55 Of course, the logo is a giant U, which stands for Unilever.
10:58 But that U is made up of 24 different icons, each one representing a different aspect of
11:03 the business and its commitment to sustainable living.
11:06 There's the sun, a source of light and renewable energy, a chilli pepper, one of the many ingredients
11:11 in its product, a spoon, a bowl, an ice cream, a flower, a palm tree, a heart - you get it.
11:16 This is a logo that quickly but extensively says, "This is who we are.
11:20 Drink it in!"
11:25 Born out of Bern in Switzerland, Toblerone remembers its roots with its logo, which features
11:29 the city's Matterhorn Mountain.
11:31 But Bern is also the city of bears, which is why you can find the animal hidden in the
11:36 white space on the mountainside.
11:37 It takes a little while to adjust your eyes, but there's definitely a bear there, rearing
11:41 up on its hind legs.
11:43 We're just glad that the real-life bears aren't almost as big as real-life mountains.
11:47 What a world that would be.
11:49 Nevertheless, this logo could justifiably double up as a local coat of arms.
11:55 Our runner-up is another awesome use of negative space, made all the better because the FedEx
11:59 logo seems so straightforward.
12:01 As a global shipping company, FedEx is a courier service carrying items from A to B.
12:06 If you were to sum the company up using just one symbol, that symbol might be an arrow.
12:10 And if you ignore the letters and just look at the white space, that's exactly what
12:14 you see, between the E and the X.
12:16 It's so subtle, it looks as though it could have been an accident, but designers worldwide
12:21 lord the FedEx logo.
12:23 Lyndon Leder is to thank for the world-famous wordmark, which has been a graphic designer's
12:27 go-to ever since its creation in 1994.
12:48 As Earth's most customer-centric company, the Amazon logo is instantly recognisable.
12:53 This makes it even more impressive that it actually offers three layers of hidden meaning.
12:57 First, and most obvious of all, there's a curved arrow to symbolise the shipping of
13:01 goods.
13:02 Second, that same arrow doubles up as a smile, telling us that this brand of online shopping
13:06 is an enjoyable experience.
13:08 Finally, and here's where things get real clever, the arrow stretches from the A to
13:12 the Z of the brand name, showing us that there's nothing which can't be bought on Amazon.
13:17 From an abacus to a zip line, an anvil to a zipper, it's all here, and it's all
13:21 covered by one clever logo.
13:23 So, did we miss any clever logos off our list?
13:26 Let us know in the comments section below.
13:35 [music]