The best logos of the 1950s

Best logos of the 1950s: Ford
(Image credit: Ford)

The best logos of the 1950s might be dated, but they still inspire graphic designers today. That's partly because the '50s were in many ways a time of profound cultural transformation and unabashed optimism. Emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, this colourful decade ushered in an era of post-war prosperity, cultural renewal and iconic design. 

As the world embraced the promise of a brighter tomorrow, graphic design (known back then as 'the graphic arts') became more important to the creation of products, packaging and advertisements. With consumerism sweeping across the Western world, branding became less of an afterthought and more of a commercial imperative. 

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Tom May

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects.