What makes a good logo? We'd argue that a striking design with a hidden meaning are the fundamentals of a logo. We see so many designs here at Creative Bloq and while some are great, others miss the mark – a little like this Dairy Queen logo with an obscure hidden meaning.
Dairy Queen was released all the way back in 1940 and has created a name for itself by selling ice cream and fast food. Despite being one of the most famous restaurants in the US, we bet you didn't know that the famous logo is hiding a secret. If you're creating your very own logo, then make sure you check out our nifty guide on how to design a logo.
Can you spot the hidden meaning in the Dairy Queen logo? (Image credit: Dairy Queen)
At first glance, the logo looks pretty unassuming with its vibrant shapes and colours. However, according to Mashed, the red ellipse apparently signifies lips, which we presume is a hint towards eating. The orange and blue stripes are supposed to represent the fact that the restaurant sells both hot and cold food (or as they like to call it, 'grill and chill').
I can see that see there are similarities between the red shape and a pair of lips, and that orange and blue traditionally represent hot and cold, but I'm still not keen on the design. I don't like the blue, red and orange colour palette because it looks too garish, and partnered with the serif font looks less like a restaurant logo and more like one for a toy store. Although, at least it's not as bad as that awful Barnstaple logo.
All these logo hidden meanings we've seen recently have made us ask the question, are they actually hiding a secret or do they look like something else? Many of the 'logo secrets' feel like a stretch, like Subway's hidden meaning and the Girl Scouts logo design. These brands should be taking notes from the likes of the clever Bluetooth design or that ingenious vet logo.
If you're feeling inspired and want to have a go at creating your own logo, then head over to our guide on how to download Illustrator and get creating. but if you're still on the hunt for some inspo, then check out our roundup of the best logos of all time.
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Amelia previously worked as Creative Bloq’s Staff Writer. After completing a degree in Popular Music and a Master’s in Song Writing, Amelia began designing posters, logos, album covers and websites for musicians. She covered a range of topics on Creative Bloq, including posters, optical illusions, logos (she's a particular fan of logo Easter eggs), gaming and illustration. In her free time, she relishes in the likes of art (especially the Pre-Raphaelites), photography and literature. Amelia prides herself on her unorthodox creative methods, her Animal Crossing island and her extensive music library.
