Ambiguous Logo Designs Excelling, with Mention of Controversial Attempts That Failed to Deliver
In the world of branding, a well-designed logo can make all the difference. One design technique that has gained popularity in recent years is the use of ambigrams, logos that read the same forwards, backwards, and upside-down. Here are some examples of successful ambigram logos and what makes them stand out.
The Spanish clothing brand, Oysho, uses an ambigram where the letter 'y' reflects the 'h' when rotated, creating sharp, minimalistic symmetry that matches the brand's aesthetic. The rounded letterforms also make the logo visually distinctive on the high street.
Both the stock cube and utensils brands named OXO use a palindrome consisting of symmetrical letters ‘O’ and ‘X’. This naturally lends itself to ambigram design that reads the same rotated or flipped vertically or horizontally, enhancing brand visibility and usability.
SONOS, another palindrome, uses an ambigram by rotation despite the ‘N’ not being symmetrical when flipped. The 2015 redesign by Bruce Mau embraced this rotational ambigram to give the brand a flexible, modular visual identity usable in horizontal or vertical layouts, matching the versatility of its audio products.
The DeLorean Motor Company brand logo, designed by Phil Gibbon, is an ambigram that makes effective use of the mirror-ability of the letters 'D' and 'C'. The chunky rounded letterforms seem to capture the 1980s perfectly.
The DXC Technology logo uses the mirror-ability of the letters 'D' and 'C' to great effect, with the white line centering the design on the X.
The Sun Microsystems logo, created by Stanford University professor Vaughan Pratt, is an ambigram logo that was engineered with mathematical precision and resembles a tech component chip. Initially used horizontally on the company's workstations, it has since been adapted for vertical use as well.
The audio system brand SONOS is another palindrome and its logo, revised by Bruce Mau in 2015, is an ambigram by rotation. The New Man logo, created by Raymond Loewy for a French fashion brand in 1968, is another example of an ambigram logo design.
However, not all ambigram logos are successful. The Odido logo, the new name for T-Mobile in the Netherlands, is an enigmatic ambigram logo that left people unsure how to pronounce the new name. The old Oysho logo, an ambigram design where the 'y' rotationally reflected the 'h', was replaced in 2011 with a more generic-looking all caps serif font.
The Dune movies attempted to create an ambigram logo that didn't quite work, with the problem most obvious in initial versions of the logo. The Abba logo is an ambigram logo design that was inspired by a magazine photoshoot where each band member held up a card with the first letter of their name, with Benny Andersson holding his 'B' the wrong way around. Rune Soederqvist, who designed most of the band's record sleeves, incorporated the idea into a logo design that's still used today.
In summary, effective ambigram logos typically use brand names with symmetrical or palindromic letter structures, employ reflective or rotational symmetry creatively, align the style of letterforms with the brand’s personality and practical use cases, and enhance logo flexibility and distinctiveness, helping with recognition and layout adaptability. Balance between cleverness and clarity is key to creating a successful ambigram logo.
[1] Source: Various design resources and articles. [2] Source: Design Shack (https://www.designshack.net/articles/inspiration/ambigram-logos/)
- The color choices in the Oysho ambigram logo help reflect the Spanish clothing brand's aesthetic and make the logo visually distinctive on the high street.
- The use of typography and letter symmetry in the OXO brand's ambigram logo enhances its brand visibility and usability.
- The versatility of SONOS' audio products is mirrored in the flexible, modular visual identity of its ambigram logo.
- Phil Gibbon's design of the DeLorean Motor Company's ambigram logo cleverly captures the brand's 1980s appeal.
- The DXC Technology logo's center-aligned design and mirror-ability of its letters 'D' and 'C' make it visually striking.
- Vaughan Pratt's mathematical precision in creating the Sun Microsystems ambigram logo provides a tech-inspired aesthetic.
- The rounded letterforms and reflection symmetry of the New Man logo, designed in 1968, align with the fashion brand's design aesthetic.
- Ineffective ambigram logos, like the Odido logo, can lead to confusion and uncertainty among consumers, affecting brand recognition.
- The old Oysho logo's ambigram design was replaced with a more straightforward all caps serif font to better represent the brand.
- Rune Soederqvist combined the Abba band members' photoshoot concept with a clever ambigram logo design, incorporating the band's name reversal into its visual identity.
