Brandmark Logo: Symbols as the Powerful Tool for Branding

July 07, 2025

A logo serves as a powerful visual representation, reflecting the essence of a brand, product, or company. The form can take on various shapes, including text, sketches, and shapes, or a blend of these elements to create a captivating visual experience. The purpose is to set the brand apart from the competition and enhance its image in the minds of the audience. Therefore, the logo stands as a crucial element in establishing a compelling visual identity, essential for thriving in a competitive market.

There are many types of logos, and the most commonly used ones are brandmark logos, wordmark logos, and the combination of both. Every logo has unique traits and serves specific purposes, tailored to align with the branding strategy a company aims to implement. So, determine the perfect visual branding that aligns seamlessly with your brand’s character and purpose.

 

3 Common Types of Logos 

Sebelum kita masuk pada penjelasan yang lebih mendalam mengenai brand mark logo, Anda harus tahu dari 3 jenis logo umum: 

brandmark logo

The brandmark logo has its appeal. This logo does not use any text at all, as it relies fully on the symbolic power in delivering the brand’s identity. A brandmark logo can be incredibly effective, especially when the symbol has been widely known and strongly associated with a brand. For instance, the Apple brand has a brandmark logo of a bitten apple. The logo exudes a minimalist, modern vibe that is globally known to be associated with the brand.

 

 

This logo fully uses the brand name in text form, with distinctive and unique typography choices. This logo emphasizes readability and writing style as its main visual elements. This logo is ideal for brands that aim to establish their brand identity from the outset. An example of a brand that uses a wordmark and is now commonly heard is Coca-Cola, which consists only of text and relies on strong typography. Simply mentioning the Coca-Cola brand name enhances its recognition.

brandmark logo

Logo Design: A Logo that Combines Symbols and Texts

Generally, the term “logo design” refers to two previously explained elements: the brandmark and the wordmark, which together form the main logo of a brand. When used as a single unit or separated as needed, a complete logo design offers flexibility. For example, there is Adidas with the three-stripe icon plus the text that writes the brand’s name. It offers versatility in use by fusing the text and icon into a single design.

Among many types of logos, the brandmark logo becomes a popular one with its own unique appeal, presenting itself as a pure symbol devoid of any text. The brandmark logo relies entirely on visual strength, which makes it full of meaning. Although simple without any text, this logo is the right choice for brands that want to appear minimalist yet memorable.

Types of Brandmark Logos

The brandmark logo design exists in various shapes, you can decide which one is the most ideal for your brand. We have classified the brandmark logo into 4 categories below:

Descriptive Brandmark

Descriptive brandmark is an icon or picture-based logo that directly depicts the brand’s product, service, or industry. The presented symbol conveys its literal meaning. This type immediately engages the audience with the offerings of a business. For example, we can use a camera icon to represent a photography studio or a burger icon to represent a fast food restaurant. As a result, you can employ this type to stay competitive in a market filled with identical symbols.

A descriptive brandmark can successfully communicate the brand’s message graphically. However, this style of brandmark design is less adaptable for larger organizations with multiple operations under their name.

Abstract Brandmark

Abstract brandmarks are logos that use abstract geometrical shapes to implicitly convey your brand’s products or services. However, this logo still accurately portrays a brand’s principles or values. Adidas, for instance, closely connects its three diagonal lines with the brand. Those lines are abstract due to their lack of literal relevance to the products it sells. However, consistency in the use of the logo and successful branding cause the audience to instinctively associate the logo with the brand.

So, more than just a look, it is critical for a brand that uses this form of brandmark logo to have strong, strategic branding.

Mascot Brandmark

Unlike abstract logos, mascots are more communicative and provide space for the audience to connect with the brand. The main strength of a brand mascot is long-term engagement, and a consistently designed character will become the brand’s visual ambassador.

An example of this type of logo is KFC, with Colonel Sanders, the character of its founder, becoming a globally recognized icon. Actually, many fast food logos utilize this type of logo, as it can be used in static and animated forms on social media, videos, and merchandise, making them versatile for promotion.

Emblem Brandmark

Emblem brandmarks represent a distinctive style of logo that exudes a timeless and classic appeal. This logo seamlessly integrates various elements into a cohesive design, elegantly encased within a circular shape. The uniqueness effectively communicates the brand’s message in a clear and organized way. This logo is frequently employed by educational and governmental institutions, sports clubs, and the automotive industry.

This logo certainly leaves a lasting impression, but it can occasionally complicate production, particularly for smaller media sizes. Therefore, it is essential to strike the right balance in your design details to achieve a flawless logo.

 

A brandmark logo must rely on a symbol or graphic icon rather than expressly mentioning the brand’s name. And, because it relies on the visual to reinforce the brand’s image, we must consider key elements while producing effective brandmark logos.

Simplicity

Simplicity is the main foundation of designing brandmark logos. In this context, simplicity means to get the logo easily recognized, remembered, and applied in various media. The simpler the design of the shape is, the easier it will be for the audience to understand the visual message of a brand without needing to think or guess about the meaning behind it. 

Therefore, your brandmark logos should have a clean and not overly complicated shape. Without any text, the symbol is the only visual that speaks to the audience. 

Distinctness

Unique brandmark logos distinguish your logo from competitors by preventing your brand from being perceived as generic. However, to get the result you want to achieve as a designer, you need to explore symbols that are not very common in the market yet still align well with the brand represented.

Scalability

Scalability refers to how well a logo maintains its clarity and consistency across different sizes, whether it’s displayed as a small icon or showcased on a massive billboard. The logo must maintain its clarity and functionality even at smaller sizes, ensuring that no essential details are compromised. One of the key reasons for steering clear of overly complex shapes is to enhance the effectiveness of the application.

Alignment with the Brand

Ensuring alignment with the brand means that the symbols or shapes utilized genuinely embody the brand’s values. Your brandmark logo must establish a strong visual and emotional connection with your audience, allowing them to resonate with your brand and understand its significance. The bird logo of Twitter, now rebranded as X, for example, represents the essence of swift and expressive communication, perfectly aligning with the platform’s purpose. 

All in all, combining the elements above into a brandmark logo can result in a logo that is not only visually appealing but also capable of establishing a strong brand identity. Using these four key elements in harmony during the design process can transform the brandmark logo into a powerful visual icon.

When do We Choose Brandmark Logos?

Utilizing brandmark logos needs a very careful consideration, to ensure its effectiveness. This is done because, in general, people are still accustomed to recognizing brands by their names, not by a symbol. So when is it best to use a brand mark logo as the main face of a brand?

Brandmark logos are ideal especially for well-known brands, as using only symbols is enough for the audience to recognize the brand. The generation that is media-savvy or responsive to visual elements is the appropriate target. Nowadays, the global market is very open to various styles of elegant and modern minimalist design, which can be easily applied across different media. The suggestion is that if the brand is still new in the market, it can use a combination of a brand mark and a wordmark logo so that the audience can recognize it verbally.

Many brands, including KFC and Adidas, use brandmark logos to represent their identity. They do, however, have an advantage in terms of recognition because they are established brands. If we want to create a visual identity, we should begin by using a consistent combination of symbols and texts to first define it.

 

To sum it up, brandmark logos serve as powerful visual symbols that effectively embody the essence of a brand’s identity. With thoughtful logo design that prioritizes relevancy and consistency, embracing a brandmark logo in today’s digital landscape is undoubtedly a venture worth pursuing. These logos represent the essence of the brand, capturing a strong and meaningful visual identity. So, take the leap and discover the potential of brandmark logos for your brand!