February 24, 2025
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5 min read
A strong and strategic logo distinguishes you from the rest. Moreover, it tells the story of your brand and who your company is. Everything from shape to colour in your logo is a choice that can carefully craft your public image.
As an experienced branding agency, we know how powerful logos are when it comes to brand strategy. In fact, 75% of people recognize a brand by its logo in comparison to visual style (60%), brand colour (45%), and unique brand voice (25%).
Logo and design trends shift as the times do, and 2025 is no different. As sans serif fonts' popularity increases and digital accessibility becomes more of a priority, the battle between standing out and fitting in wages on.
Along with some logo insights to keep in mind for 2025 and beyond, this blog will share some interesting trends, statistics and examples of logos our team loves.
Read: Brand Strategy - The Ultimate Investment
What does your colour palette say to your customers?
How does the font set the tone for your messaging?
Does your logo need a refresh to keep up with the times?
Your logo represents you, your company, and your brand values.
From brat green to experimental typographies, the fun design trends of 2024 and early 2025 have had us in a chokehold. However, time-tested design principles shouldn’t be ignored for any old fast-fading fad. Each choice made in logo design should be intentional and purposeful.
Whether you already have a great logo, need a brand refresh, or are starting entirely from scratch, here are five logo insights to keep in mind for 2025.
Sans serif fonts are in, in a big way. But why? Sans serif logos are easier to read on a screen. Over the last decade, there has been a shift toward screen-friendly fonts and minimalistic design.
This trend can also be seen in the logos of Fortune 500 companies.
Out of these 500 companies’ logos, 367 use sans serif fonts (73%). Compared to only 90 logos using serif fonts, it’s clear that sans-serif logos are currently the most popular. (Source: Website Planet)
We’re sure you’ve noticed countless brands shift towards minimalistic logos and visual identities. Some of them are a hit, and others… not so much.
Google, among countless other brands, made the change to a sans-serif typeface logo in 2015. Pepsi has a checkered branding past, including a failed modern rebrand in 2008 and returning to a retro-inspired logo reminiscent of their classic branding, released in late 2023.
Rebranding can often extend beyond the logo, like with the North American sweetheart, Wendy’s.
The Wendy’s logo has seen several face-lifts and colour changes since 1969, and so have their physical locations. Gone are the iconic 90s sunrooms, replaced by minimalistic, square buildings. We’ll always miss you, Wendy’s sunrooms.
Logos often need to be updated as trends change. We’ve redesigned logos for clients for many reasons, including keeping up with modern trends, new ownership, growing organizations, and realigning with business values etc. But, when should you consider keeping your logo as is?
Simple: brand legacy.
Alongside the popularity of sans-serif fonts, we’re experiencing a cultural pushback for the old and traditional. Just take Burberry, for example; they replaced their sans-serif font logo and brought back their 101-year-old logo design in 2023.
Another historic logo you may recognize is Stella Artois, first used in 1366 and claimed to be the oldest logo in the world.
For most small businesses, you won’t have a century-long legacy to protect (yet). However, keeping ties with a long-lasting legacy can help improve customer recognition and build a longer-lasting brand. If you choose to modernize, do it with strategic intention to avoid alienating your customer base.
Read: Brand Positioning: Your Tips For Building Brand Legacy
Our team designed a logo and visual identity for the Velma Carter Centre, a non-profit healing centre for black women in Alberta, Canada. They needed a brand representing Velma Carter’s influential voice - not something quick and trendy.
We designed a logo honouring that legacy through soft, pastel blue and gold colours, a serif typeface, and the symbolism of Velma Carter at the heart of the centre “C” in the logo.
Not surprisingly, blue and black are the two most popular logo colours! According to research from Website Planet, the colour blue accounts for nearly 40% of logo colours among Fortune 500 companies.
Blue leads the way with 198 logos, black with 128, red with 83 and green with 35.
Choosing the right colours for your brand’s logo can make, or break, the public perception of your company.
Take the medical or healthcare industry, for example.
The colours used in your logo have emotional and mental connotations that can affect people subconsciously. While most healthcare companies use blue or green in their logos and visual branding, the Red Cross uses bold colours like black and red. Considering their mission is to urgently deal with global disasters and crises, these colours help communicate that message.
We recommend choosing your colours intentionally and understanding how colour theory can affect how people view your brand.
Walmart announced their rebrand on Jan 13th, 2025 and oh boy, did the internet have some things to say.
Their combination logo - with the Walmart wordmark and yellow spark symbol - is now separate. With slight tweaks to font boldness and a colour shift to what they call “True Blue,” the rebranding to a royal blue aligns with many other brands following the trend of bright, bold, and blue logos. (Hello, 2023 Fanta rebrand!)
Many online don’t see the difference. Do you?
Speaking of Walmart’s combination logo, just what does “combination logo” mean? A classic combination logo combines graphics and text and can be done in loose or tight configurations.
A loose combination logo is the simple pairing of text (wordmark) and a graphic (logomark) that allows for maximum flexibility! The logomark can be used independently of the text (or vice versa). Think: DropBox or Adidas.
A tight combination logo includes a more integrated approach, where neither element (text or graphic) can be separated from the other easily. Think: Lays and Doritos.
Does anyone else feel a little snacky right now?
According to research from Website Planet, combination logos are by far the most popular choice for Fortune 500 companies. In fact, they account for 307 out of 500 logos!
Combination logos dominated with 307 logos, followed by wordmarks with 155 logos, 24 letter marks, and 12 emblems. Don’t forget the iconic pictorial or abstract logos of companies like Apple, which don’t have any text in their logos.
We designed a combination logo, brand identity, and website for Toronto artist and art teacher, Andrew (Shotsy’s Art Studio).
Through a Brand Discovery Session with us, we created a brand and logo that represented curiosity, creativity, inspiration, and a safe, encouraging space to learn art. Even the logomark represents the artistic journey! It can mean a layering of paint, a landscape on canvas, or a close-up of a flower blossoming.
His logo comprises the typography “Shotsy’s Art Studio” and the logomark that we custom-designed. Practically, this logo can be very flexible! Usage can include typography only as a wordmark, typography with the logomark, or the logomark and typography used separately. The illustrated logomark can also be used as a brand pattern to strengthen recognizability.
The journey of this logo began with us exploring inkblot drawings, symmetry and the letter “S” for Shotsy. Pretty cool, huh?
Check out our work for Shotsy’s Art Studio here.
As the world and the web become more accessible, we encourage you to ensure that your visual branding, website and logo follow suit. Not only are there legal requirements to consider, but everyone should have equal access to all information on the Internet.
Have you ever read text on a coloured background and found it hard to read?
Or struggle to read a very cursive piece of text?
We know we have.
Below, you’ll find a comparison of cursive text in white on a pale yellow background compared to san-serif text in white on a bold purple background. Which one is easier to read?
Logos do not need to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, but we recommend that your logo use colours and clear fonts that make it easy for visual users to perceive.
Here are some helpful tools that you can use to ensure your visual brand and website are accessible to all.
Get accessiBe - an AI-powered solution to help ensure your website is accessible and compliant with accessibility laws. (We’re accessiBe partners, and use it for all websites we design!)
Use colour contrast checkers - tools like Coolors and Color Palette Contrast Checker can help you improve your brand colours and contrast for readability.
Read our blog post - Web Accessibility: Why it Matters in Canada in 2024
We love purpose-filled and well-designed logos… and we also love fun. Who says you can’t do both? Here are some of our favourite logo design trends right now.
We’re loving the resurgence of the mascot. Whether they be chaotic (like the Duolingo owl), petite and cute (like the Givebutter butter) or sassy characters with names and personalities (like GG and Pik from Good Girl Snacks), we’re big fans!
Mascots can be the logo itself or feature alongside a wordmark in a combination logo, like Duolingo and Givebutter.
When times get tough, design gets FUN! Many young companies are going big with their logos and visual identities, from mismatched typefaces to bright colour palettes.
Don’t be fooled though, bright and bold isn’t just for the young folks. Energizing colours can invoke a sense of confidence, vibrancy and optimism. Having a logo that stands out from the crowd quite literally sets you apart from the rest and creates an unforgettable brand in the minds of your customers.
We often tell our clients who come to us for branding and logo design that they can choose to follow the norm or break expectations.
Otherwise known as “when they zig, you zag.”
Looking for a reputable company using a unicorn mascot and a bright pink and orange colour palette? Just check out Litco Law. They’re breaking the rules of traditional law office branding and are doing better than ever.
We designed the logo and visual branding for No Limits Collective. This organization addresses the need for accessible housing by collaborating with property owners, builders, and non-profits to build and manage barrier-free homes. Their logo incorporates a wordmark and yellow house logomark and goes hand in hand with a bright colour palette.
See our work for No Limits Collective here.
We also created visual branding, illustrations and the logo for California Approves! They’re a forward-thinking grassroots political organization that aims to improve democracy in California. We achieved their goal of an inclusive educational political reform brand through modern typography, bold colours, and informational graphics.
See our work for California Approves here.
Gone are the days of flat websites and boring logos! Whether that be animating your logo or adding some moving elements to your website, it’s time to get creative.
We love using animated elements in the websites we create. Take Zetna Collective for example! They’re a bright and boldly branded organization that aims to foster positive life experiences for 2SLGBTQ+ Black, African, and Caribbean communities in Edmonton, Alberta.
We incorporated animation throughout their website for a seamless user experience and to make it visually interesting. On the homepage, you can see an animated text gradient, adding subtle movement and interest for a positive user experience.
More obvious animated elements can be seen on the “Our Story” page. As you scroll down the page, you will scroll through images detailing the Zetna Collective’s journey and founding.
See more of our work for the Zetna Collective here.
So, what does all of this mean for your business?
Let’s repeat: your logo represents you, your company, and your brand values.
Whether you want to keep up with the times with a sans serif font, follow the lead of Fortune 500 companies and choose blue, or stick to tradition, your logo is an intentional choice that speaks to your customers.
If you need to refresh your logo or need direction with your brand strategy, you’re in the right place! Book a Brand Discovery call with our team to chat about your business needs here.
Read: Brand Strategy - The Ultimate Investment
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