Logos with long company names: examples and approaches

April 11, 2018

A long company name is a challenge for a logo designer. Like a big house, long logos are harder to keep clean. Lengthy text can look busy and complicated. The more “stuff” you add to a logo, the harder it is to absorb at a glance. Good logos are quickly readable. Seeing how other brand identity designers have handled this task can be helpful. Here are some examples of long corporate logos.

Horizontal long logos

These logos keep all the words on one line. Every word is set in the same size and typeface to cut down on extra busyness. (PricewaterhouseCoopers finally threw in the towel on that quirky lettering. They now go by PwC.)

Stacked long logos

Another approach is to stack a long name into two lines or more.

Options are good

It’s common for a brand to have several “lock-ups,” or official arrangements of the logo elements. This way the right logo can be selected to fill the available space. A website header might be a good place for a long, horizontal lock-up. Maybe a stacked, centered version goes on a vertical banner at a trade show. Often the proportion between the symbol and the wordmark changes to create a harmonious, balanced grouping.

A word about badges

Wrapping long business names around a circle and adding extra words like city names or year of establishment has been a hipster trend. This type of mark mimics a vintage seal. The style attempts to create a feeling of nostalgia or heritage. It can easily be associated with passing fads like skinny jeans and farm-to-table brussels sprouts, so use caution! Badges look cool on a t-shirt or coffee mug, but they usually make bad company logos. They’re hard to read at a glance and tiny letters are illegible at small sizes. Save the badges for secondary marks or endorsements of credibility like the Good Housekeeping seal of approval.