One of the most noticeable branding trends in recent years is the rising prevalence of minimalist logos. More and more big brands are increasingly minimalising their logos, which often comes at the cost of what made the logo unique in the first place- and also what made the brand unique.
When the online world went into uproar about the recent Jaguar rebrand, it wasn’t necessarily because people didn’t like the look of the updated, ‘contemporary’ logo (although they also definitely didn’t). It was mainly because, in the advert that launched the iconic car brand’s latest campaign, there weren’t actually any… cars. Which led car enthusiasts everywhere to ask the age-old question… what are we even looking at? Is this even the same brand?
Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with minimalist branding. Some stripped back, modernised logos are very effective. But what’s behind the trend? Why does it seem like just about every logo is minimalist now- and is there any end to the trend in sight?
Examples of minimalist logos
You’ve probably more than once seen graphics shared on social media that show the evolution (or devolution, depending on your preferences) of certain logos. It’s these comparisons between logos from decades ago and their contemporary successors that really exemplify the minimalist trend. There are a few notable examples we could choose from (Pepsi, Twitter (RIP), and Pringles to name just a few), none quite so egregious as the 2020-2023 Patreon logo.
But the best example is probably Google- specifically Chrome and the rest of Google’s applications. The logo of every Google app has evolved to be more and more minimalist, and therefore have less and less detail, in favour of sleek, uniform branding. It’s the same for Apple’s app icons. In fact, if you go on your phone’s home screen right now, the vast majority of your app icons will probably be minimalist, regardless of the phone you have.
Are there any exceptions to the minimalist trend?
Now, there are some exceptions. Some logos have had very few changes since their inception, even after more than a century.
But the most notable exception is probably football crests (which are indeed logos, at the end of the day). While football crests do tend to get updated every decade or so- and many of them now follow the minimalist trend- there are a plethora of crests that are virtually the same as they’ve always been.
No surprises as to why that is; a crest typically represents much of the club’s heritage, and the heritage of the area in which the club is based. So if you strip back the crest, you strip back the heritage, and then everyone goes mental, basically.
Why is minimalist branding so prevalent?
So, where does the minimalism trend stem from? There’s a few reasons, starting with…
Digital versatility. Nowadays, your logo appears (or should appear) in more places than just your website. It’ll feature in your site’s favicon, social media profile picture, your app icon, your email signature, YouTube video watermarks… the list is endless, essentially. The point is that a logo needs to be distinguishable in every context, and if there’s too much detail… it just won’t be. Clients won’t take the time to work out what your logo represents- and crucially, they won’t remember it.
Timelessness is also a factor. It’s hard for a logo that’s just a few flat geometric shapes to age poorly.
It also pays to have a logo that can be universally recognised. This is less likely to be the case if there are multiple region-specific elements to your logo that would go over the heads of those in other parts of the world.
Ultimately? Trends are trends. While versatility, timelessness, and universality certainly play a part, the main reason every company seems to have a minimalist logo now is because… every company seems to have a minimalist logo now. It’s just what’s working in the world of branding.
So, does all this mean you need to go completely minimalist with your own SME’s logo? Not necessarily. While less does tend to be more at the moment, there’s no reason why you can’t have variations of your logo for different contexts- as long as the core of the logo remains throughout.
