Text-based logos are popular, as they make it easy to identify the company that the design represents. However, there is a slight but significant chance that the logo may end up boring without any kind of image.
These Top 10 Wordplay Logos are text-only logos, but keep it interesting and unique through wordplay, just as professional logo samples should.
Playground Logo
1 One would expect a logo with this name to have a sense of childlike fun and it certainly does. Bright yet modern colors suggest the child within, without being overly juvenile. The Y and the G are cleverly melded together into a slide, which again relates to the name. The bold, plain font makes this child logo noticeable without being overwhelming. Even people who can’t read could tell what type of business this logo belongs to.
Muno Cafe and Bistro Logo
2 If you want to suggest earthiness, there is no better way than a leafy logo and an earthy brown. Muno Café and Bistro not only uses these elements, it adds wavy letters that give a sense of change and flow. The lack of hard edges or pointed elements makes this logo design feel friendly and welcoming. This is a well-balanced logo that flows better than many we have seen, maintaining a somewhat abstract image while being easy to read nonetheless.
Minimum Wordplay Logo
2 A simple, minimalist logo design is necessary for a business with this name—otherwise customers might wonder if the name refers to the company offering ‘the bare minimum’. A text only logo definitely fits the bill, and the way the letters are arranged gives a balanced and interesting feeling. Serifed lower case letters in shades of gray and black are stacked in a pyramid to give a feeling of strength and balance that is definitely complimentary to this brand.
Coffee Logo
3 What could suggest coffee more than a deep brown, the image of a cup, and a steamy font rising up from the image? This coffee shop logo has all of these elements and combines them smoothly. The shape of the cup echoes the lines of the writing, while the lighter color used for the writing fits smoothly with the brown in the background. This image is a good example of how a professional designer can incorporate many different elements into a logo without being overly complicated or cluttered.
Chameleon Logo
5 This logo is an example of one of today’s hottest design trends: creating an image with lettering. A chameleon character is a more complicated shape to create, but this logo is attractive and obviously lizard-like. Extensions of the letters create legs and a tail, while the C is cleverly formed to look like a lizard face. Instead of making the lizard green—the obvious choice—this design uses the green in the background, where it gives the entire image a leafy, organic feeling.
Foot Logo
6 What could bring up mental pictures of a foot more than a footprint? Using a footprint for the two O’s was a great idea, but one that would not have worked with most fonts. However, the wording, in this case, is thick enough to stand next to the image and slightly irregular to make the uneven footprint seem to fit in. This shoe company logo has a casual feeling and is neutral enough to fit a variety of different businesses. However, anyone who uses it would need to think carefully about what kinds of fonts and colors they wanted to be part of their overall brand, as the logo does not explicitly dictate these.
Brand Union Logo
7 Using negative space in a logo design creates interest and a highly modern feeling, but it comes with challenges as well. It can be hard to make the writing legible without being overwhelming or cluttered. This logo is a good example of how this strategy can be used successfully in a text-only logo. The variety tones make for an interesting image, but the fact that they are all shades of gray keeps the Wordplay logos from being overwhelming. Instead of simply carving the letters out of the darker background, this logo creates the negative space by arranging different blocks of color.
Eight Logo
8 One common problem with text-only logos is that they can be a little too plain. This logo design shows one way of getting around this challenge: by using a highly personal and non-traditional font for the letters. The word ‘Eight’, which is the perfect business name, is cleverly created out of pieces of number eight. There is no other image because this interesting logo doesn’t really need one.
Shout Logos
9 This business has a fun, assertive name that demands a logo design with the same flavor. Luckily, the logo lives up to this demand. Lowercase letters are fun and informal, but they are slightly irregular to add to the impact. A bold font with serifs ties into the ‘loudness’ of the name. The O is made of a mouth, which ties into the name beautifully. It’s hard to think of a logo that could be more effective in promoting this business and this brand.
Just Creative Design Logo
10 This logo is both an ‘initial’ logo and a ‘text’ logo at the same time and also works as an acronym of the design, Jacob Cass, an extremely talented designer. The initials are designed to make the shape of a pencil, which is definitely relevant to the industry. Moreover, they are created to look like they have been drawn in pencil, tying into the industry and the image seamlessly. The wording below is created to avoid taking attention away from the image, in a very plain font without serifs or details. The red adds a little interest and color, giving the logo design a complete feeling.
As you can see, text-only logos don’t have to be boring or understated. In fact, there are many ways to keep it interesting without adding too much clutter to a logo. If you think a text logo may be best for you, talk to a professional logo designer today.