Logo design has changed a lot over the years, and with today's technological advancements, that world of design has really opened up. Meaningful logos produce a strong connection between the company and its target audience. One popular tool used by modern companies is the animated logo. These moving designs achieve the valuable goals of engaging with the audience, inspiring customers to take action, and taking root within the minds of the viewer — and, of course, boosting profits.
Value of Animated Logos
Branding is a major component of marketing campaigns today and animated logos are a strong tool toward achieving brand recognition and popularity. In the past, a static logo was enough, but short attention spans and expectation of quick information in today's audiences has changed that. Moving logos bring your business goals to life, grab the audience's attention, and create a feeling of engagement. What else can they do?
Types of Animated Logos
Your logo doesn't always have to tell a story to inspire consumer confidence. If the main goals are to hang onto your audience's attention and make a positive emotional connection, a simple rotation may be enough when used effectively. These are some of the most popular types of moving logos:
How We Chose Our Ratings
We considered our ratings based on the idea that animated logos are promotional tools. We took into account elements such as memorability, brand awareness, emotional response, and length of animation. For our list of best examples of animated logos, we focused on companies that most consumers are already familiar with. However, some of the most exciting examples of effective logos are those of relatively small, unknown companies. We stuck with familiar companies because readers are more likely to understand the goals of those brands and recognize the connection behind an effective logo and the goods or services of the company.
Top 10 Best Examples of Animated Logos
Nike
The Nike Swoosh has gone through many changes since its inception in 1971 by graphic design student Carolyn Davidson. Today the Swoosh is animated in several ways, including a lightning burst, an explosion of paint, and electrical sizzling. Each of these animations brings the inherent motion of the Swoosh into actual motion and triggers a pleasant sensation of familiarity among viewers.
Memorability: 5/5
Brand Awareness: 5/5
Emotional Response: Let's get moving
Length of Animation: Variable
Our Rating: 5/5 Stars
Amazon
This logo combines several techniques to present a logo that evokes the image of a smile and the sale of everything from A to Z. While the logo successfully describes the company services, it also leaves viewers with a positive emotional response and confidence that pretty much anything could be purchased through Amazon.
Memorability: Yes
Brand Awareness: Yes
Emotional Response: Evokes a smile and anticipation
Length of Animation: 4 seconds
Our Rating: 5/5 Stars
Burger King
Burger King's logo of a stylized hamburger has long been recognized as an effective marketing strategy. The elements of the static logo create the appearance of a double-patty hamburger while simultaneously presenting the brand name prominently. The animated logo separates those elements and layers them, one piece at a time. A subtle use of 3-D imaging brings this logo to life.
Memorability: 5/5
Brand Awareness: 5/5
Emotional Response: We're ready for a juicy hot burger now.
Length of Animation: 2 seconds
Our Rating: 5/5 Stars
MasterCard
The moving Mastercard logo transforms to reveal several travel, food, and adventure uses. This masterful use of a transformation design quickly covers many of the most desirable ways to use a credit card and achieves this with the use of four bold colors. Viewers of this logo may find themselves inspired to buy a lunch with friends or a summer vacation with their credit card.
Memorability: 4.8/5
Brand Awareness: 5/5
Emotional Response: Open up possibilities
Length of Animation: 8 seconds
Our Rating: 4.9/5 Stars
National Geographic Channel
The famous yellow rectangle used in National Geographic's logo was inspired by the magazine's trademarked cover. That bold border already generates strong brand recognition and is often acknowledged by industry experts as an effective way to combine the magazine's solid reputation with the company's digital and television offerings. The company's animated logo takes this one step further. The background draws on elements of drafting and computer coding as the yellow border transitions into a moving image of the border and the words "National Geographic Channel."
Memorability: 4.8/5
Brand Awareness: 5/5
Emotional Response: Let's explore!
Length of Animation: 2 seconds
Our Rating: 4.9/5 Stars
FedEX
This logo is another brilliant example of a successful static logo getting converted to a moving logo. The use of two contrasting colors keeps the viewer's attention focused and the positioning of an arrow within the connection of the E and the X subtly represents the company's delivery service. The animated logo continues to take advantage of the play between positive and negative space with moving arrows to reveal a very memorable logo.
Memorability: 4.5/5
Brand Awareness: 5/5
Emotional Response: Positive feelings of direction
Length of Animation: 10 seconds
Our Rating: 4.8/5 Stars
Based on the idea of creating a scrapbook of information, Pinterest has gained a lot of popularity within a relatively short time. The moving logo begins with a bounce from a pin into the stylized P that represents Pinterest and then expands to show a paperclip that unfolds into the word "Pinterest." Within four seconds, this logo shares a lot of information about the company while creating a memorable take on the company's logo.
Memorability: 4.6/5
Brand Awareness: 4.8/5
Emotional Response: It's easy and fun to pin.
Length of Animation: 4 seconds
Our Rating: 4.7/5 Stars
Just about anyone who uses a computer and many who don't are familiar with Google. Part of this brand awareness is surely due to the company's moving logo. The four-color animation demonstrates Google's emerging and ever-increasing functionality. For instance, during the transformation process a microphone is created, drawing attention to the company's Speak Now functionality.
Memorability: 4.5/5
Brand Awareness: 4.5/5
Emotional Response: Consistent positive engagement
Length of Animation: 10 seconds
Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
The LinkedIn animated logo begins with a walking professional who tosses a briefcase into the air. When that briefcase lands, the professional is contained within a square that transforms into the "in" logo that then expands into the familiar LinkedIn logo. This quick animation effectively shows the goal of putting professional credentials into one concise space for easy viewing.
Memorability: 4/5
Brand Awareness: 4.5/5
Emotional Response: Work is fun.
Length of Animation: 4 seconds
Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Intel
The moving Intel logo begins with a simple square that reveals the recognizable static Intel logo. Carrying this hide-and-reveal element further, the tagline "Look Inside" is supported by a quick transition between an image, a laptop, tablet, and smartphone.
Memorability: 4/5
Brand Awareness: 4.5/5
Emotional Response: Positive for the computer-minded
Length of Animation: 4 seconds
Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Buyer's Guide
As you look through our selection of animated logos, you'll probably recognize each logo because they are memorable. You may understand their value in promoting brand awareness. Some of those logos effectively tell a story about business goals. All of them are original images that are linked forever to company brands.
As you move toward the development of your own animated logo, you'll want to keep some key factors in mind:
Are You Ready To Get Started?
Developing a memorable and effective company logo is one of the first steps a new business takes. The logo represents the work and goals of your company. It acts as the "face" of your entire business. This crucial aspect of your marketing efforts needs to be updated along with other marketing modifications. As technology and consumer behavior change, your business should keep pace, and this means creating an animated logo.
There's plenty of research to show the impact of animated content, so adding an element of motion to your logo can be an easy way to boost your positive market response. Use the best animated logos to capture your audience's attention, tell your brand story, boost brand awareness, and invoke a positive emotional response.
