A friend of mine recently sent me an email that’s been making the rounds lately titled “How Observant Are You?” and in it are some great logos you’ve seen – but may not have really looked at (Thanks David!). I’ll share them below, because these are great examples of the depth and layers of meanings that logos should have.

So often, we see logos hastily put together, or simply a version of glorified clipart. While the company may have subsequently engaged in branding and really honed in on what their brand is, their logo doesn’t tell that story. But I think there is nothing quite so good, clever, or obviously branded as hidden messages in logos, like you’ll see below. These companies have taken a lot of time and energy to add layers and depth to logo — and by extension their brand.

Take a few moments to appreciate the artistic and branding genius in these logos that you’ve probably seen many times — but never really looked at.