Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
ThatPainter is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More
Some familiar logos hide a second image in a letter, a gap, or a color change. The clearest examples include the arrow in FedEx, the number 31 in Baskin-Robbins, and the bear inside Toblerone’s mountain. Other readings are popular visual interpretations rather than confirmed accounts of a designer’s intent. That distinction matters: a clever thing to spot is not always a documented origin story.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Logo Design. Global Brands | $23.30 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Principles of Logo Design: A Practical Guide to Creating Effective Signs, Symbols, and Icons | $22.30 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Logo, revised edition | $22.04 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Logo Design (Bibliotheca Universalis) (Multilingual Edition) | $13.99 | Buy on Amazon |
What “hidden meaning” means in a logo
A logo can reward a closer look when its shapes, letters, colors, or empty spaces form another image. Designers call the use of surrounding empty space negative space: the gap is not merely background but can help create a second shape. Some meanings are documented by a company or design reference; others are readings viewers commonly notice without an authoritative explanation of intent.
The first four examples below are described together as hidden-message examples in Graphic Design: Learn It, Do It (2019). NBCUniversal and LG provide company accounts for their marks. The remaining examples are commonly discussed visual readings, not verified statements of original design intent.
#1 Best Overall
Four textbook examples
1. FedEx: an arrow between the letters
Look at the negative space between the capital E and lowercase x in the FedEx wordmark: it forms a forward-pointing arrow. It is a compact example of how spacing between letters can make a second image. The arrow is identified in Graphic Design: Learn It, Do It; claims about a broader intended message should be treated as interpretation unless separately documented.
2. Baskin-Robbins: 31 in the BR
The contrasting colors in the B and R reveal the number 31. It refers to the chain’s 31-flavor brand-history idea, not a count of the flavors it currently offers. The number is part of the logo’s lettering and color treatment, rather than a separate symbol placed beside the name.
3. Amazon: A to Z and a smile
The curved arrow beneath the Amazon name runs from A to Z, suggesting the breadth of products the company sells. It also reads as a smile, and the design reference notes its use on packaging. The two readings come from the same curved mark.
Rank #2
4. Toblerone: a bear in the Matterhorn
A standing bear appears in the mountain shape in the Toblerone logo. The design reference connects the bear to Bern, where the chocolate was created and which is known as the “city of bears.” Here, the hidden animal ties the mountain image to the place associated with the brand.
Two company-confirmed meanings
5. NBC: a peacock tied to color television
NBCUniversal says the peacock first appeared in 1956 as a promotion for color television—not yet as the network’s logo. The original version had 11 colored plumes. The bird became widely associated with NBC before the company officially adopted it as its corporate symbol in 1986. As NBC Chairman and CEO Grant A. Tinker wrote that year, “We concluded that the time was right to update and officially adopt the Peacock as NBC’s corporate symbol.” The 1986 design had six colored plumes, representing the six NBC business divisions at that time.
6. LG: L and G make a face
LG’s official history says the letters L and G combine to form a stylized human face, which the company calls the “Face of the Future.” LG also assigns the mark broader associations—including world, future, youth, humanity, and technology. Those are the company’s stated meanings, rather than an independent interpretation of what the symbol represents.
Rank #3
Five often-noticed visual readings
The following details are easy to look for, but their explanations have less direct support: commonly repeated accounts describe what viewers can see, without establishing that this was the original design intention.
7. Tour de France: a cyclist in the lettering
Many readers spot a cyclist in the Tour de France lettering and yellow circle. The letters can suggest the rider’s body and bicycle, while the circle can read as a wheel. This is a plausible visual reading, but it should not be presented as confirmed designer intent.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
8. Carrefour: a C between the shapes
A common reading of the Carrefour mark is a C formed in the negative space between its colored shapes. It is a useful reminder that the background between bold forms can carry a letter of its own. This interpretation is widely repeated, but a primary confirmation of intent is not established here.
9. Formula 1: a figure in the gap
Accounts of the Formula 1 mark describe a numeral or racing figure appearing in its negative space. The exact reading varies, so it is safest to treat the effect as something viewers may see rather than assign it one fixed official meaning.
10. VAIO: analog and digital forms
A frequently reported interpretation is that the VAIO lettering combines forms associated with analog and digital technology. The explanation is repeated in secondary sources, but without confirmation from Sony or the designer it remains a reported reading, not a verified account of intent.
11. Goodwill: a smile or face
Some logo roundups describe a smile or face within the Goodwill symbol. That is best framed as a visual reading: the available explanation is less firmly supported than the company accounts for NBC’s peacock or LG’s face.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteQuick Recap
How to read a logo without overclaiming
- Notice the device. A second image can come from negative space, lettering, color, or an illustration embedded in the mark.
- Separate what you see from what is documented. You can describe a shape as resembling a cyclist or face without claiming that its designer confirmed the interpretation.
- Check the context. Some symbols point to a brand’s history or place, like Baskin-Robbins’ 31 or the bear associated with Bern; others suggest a broad idea, like Amazon’s A-to-Z arrow.
- Allow for change over time. NBC’s peacock began as a color-TV promotion before becoming the corporate symbol. A logo’s meaning and status can evolve along with its design.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
