Can you guess what inspired the Girl Scouts logo?

As a design blog, we get particularly excited about clever logos with hidden meanings. Over the past few weeks, it seems like every logo ever made suddenly has a design Easter egg – and we're loving it. Today we're looking at the Girl Scouts logo, which is apparently hiding a design secret. 

Girl Scouts has been around since 1912, and it has gone through a few logo changes to say the least. The famous four-leaf clover design (see above) that we recognise today was introduced back in 1978. But did you know that the design has been hiding a secret for over 40 years? If you're feeling inspired by this logo talk and would like to have a go at designing your own, then make sure you follow these 15 golden rules of how to design a logo. 

It's rumoured that the Girl Scouts logo has a sweet secret. According to LA Times, back in 1922, one Scout leader created the recipe for the famous trefoil cookie, which has become a staple biscuit in the Girl Scout cookie repertoire. 

It's believed that the trefoil cookies actually inspired the shape of the Girl Scouts logo today. We can't imagine basing something as important as a logo on a biscuit, but seeing how well it works for the Girl Scouts, we might have to try it in the future – can you imagine a Creative Bloq x Oreo collab?

It was designer Saul Bass (you know, he created those terrifying The Shining posters) who created the famous emblem. According to Turbologo, the three girls are facing the direction of their future, as if looking forward to it. It also explains that the four-leaf clover represents friendship in China, which is very on-brand for the Girl Scouts. When I first saw the design, I wondered if the three girls were representing each of the Scout promises: Honour God and country, help others and obey the scout law, but that's just me. 

If you're enjoying this logo secret, then why not check out the hidden meaning behind the Google logo, or the Twix logo? Or if you'd like to have a go at making your own, then have a look at our roundup of the best free logo makers. 

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