How Logos Became the Ultimate Insignia for Consumer Culture

Welcome to the 157th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we discover the evolution of logos, explaining the importance and marketing tactics behind brand insignia.

It can be difficult to stick out in an era of limitless dopamine-engaging content. As the world grows closer to virtual reality, we stand at the foot of a generational shift, controlled by artificial intelligence and algorithmic timelines. While attention spans thin, it has become progressively difficult to capture and engage one’s eye, leading us to question just how significant logos are in pervasive media.

Perhaps the leading representation of brand insignia lies in the fashion industry, plaguing hoodies and t-shirts with standalone logos for decades. In fact, consumers have been purchasing branded garments since Levi’s began producing their infamous jacron patch for denim in 1887. Doing so to aid the predominantly illiterate populous with identifying their label, customers would often refer to the brand as the “one with two horses”.

We’d see our first monogram print in 1896 as Louis Vuitton plagued select trunks with the ‘Canvas’ interlocking LV graphic. However, it wouldn’t be until the 1920s that we’d see an authentic portrayal of branding in wearable designer fashion, embellishing Lacoste’s crocodile motif on sport and suit wear alike. At the time, the practice was widely uncommon and was only seen at the heights of couture three decades later under Coco Chanel’s direction.

Collegiate logos like Champion would begin to explode as sportswear companies like Nike popularized emblems of their own, i.e the Swoosh. Around that same time, advancements in printing technologies would enable marketers to screen print, establishing the foundation for Y2K’s ‘logo-craze’ era. Towards the end of the 19th century, monograms would ignite, coming hand in hand with designer polos from Ralph Lauren and Gucci. Heading into the 2010s we’d see the inception of mainstream, affordable branding in contrast to affluent labels, coming full circle.