There was a time when a logo was a true trademark—that is, the mark of a trade. The logos of yesterday offered graphic depictions of the product being offered, usually in a simple hand-drawn or even carved format. While logo design trends have changed through the years and more modern techniques have taken over the market, there is no doubt that there are times when a vintage logo is appropriate. The following Vintage Logos are some modern designs with strong vintage flair.
Vintage Flying
1 While many people (including me!) are looking for the latest in technology and comfort in an airplane company, some just want a good, old-fashioned adventure. This company offers the sense that you will be like one of the explorers that you read about when you embark on one of these ‘grassroots adventures’. The inverted triangle gives a sense of strength that is so important when people are entrusting their lives to you, while the image of an airplane flying low above a field of grass makes this airline seem nonthreatening and, yes, adventurous.
Bridal Couture of Short Hills Logo
2 This bridal gown boutique did not have a brand that demanded a vintage logo design, but it is certainly complimented by this lovely, simply image. A circle and banner shape begins the vintage feeling, while an old-fashioned feminine script gives the logo a vintage feeling that is distinctively girly. The dotted lines, which refer to a fabric pattern, surround the shape and also create the shape of a simple wedding gown. Wedding fashion is a uniquely challenging field because most brides want traditional designs with modern trim. This logo is vintage yet appeals to modern sensibilities, making it a true winner in the field.
Lapis Boenda
3 The name of this company has little to do with cake making, so it is important that this traditional baking and cake-making company clearly show their product in the logo. This logo offers the best of vintage logos, with a brown single toned image against a faded tan background. The image, which appears to be woodblock, while the image of a woman in vintage dress proudly holding a cake is definitely one that we associate with the ‘good old days’.
Memoirs New Recycled & Vintage Clothing Logo
4 This clothing fashion brand shop offers vintage and modern vintage choices for the discerning, upscale shopper. As such, a vintage logo is almost mandatory. This time, we see black and white instead of earth tones, as this logo design is reaching for a fifties vintage look rather than a fifteenth-century one. An old fashioned dress form makes up the sole image, with a few fancy flourished for interest. Distinctly feminine writing in a scrolling hand completes the simple yet graceful look of this logo.
Reforger Films Logo
5 This vintage logo borrows from a design style often seen in Soviet-era propaganda films from almost a century ago. A male figure from classical mythology kneels heavily under the weight of a film, suggesting that these films deal with some heavy topics. The blocky style combined with the bold color scheme of black and red give a substantial image. This style is retro and yet undeniably revolutionary, which is exactly the brand that this company was seeking.
Jim Clancy, Marine Representative Logo
6 Seafaring and the businesses related to this lifestyle can benefit from vintage logos because this is one of the older and more traditional forms of transportation. This marine representative ties himself into the community with a logo that will be accepted in this tradition-bound industry. First, the logo appears to be made of wood—notice the slats in the blue hexagon as well as the nail heads in the brown rectangle above it. Second, the muted colors and the traditional writing also lend a vintage feeling. The geometric shape, a version of a hexagon, is uncommon but memorable, while the wooden bar over the top provides detail and interest.
Dr. Zhivago Beers
7 This beer company uses the name of a classic Russian movie and thus needs a classic Russian logo design to match. An apparent woodcut design includes a deal, the sign of excellence, enclosing a beer with a medical cross in the center. Whether this refers to the doctor in the name or the medicinal quality of good beer for those who enjoy it, it certainly differentiates the beer in a market with a wide variety of choices.
Obie’s Fillin’ Station Logo
8 An old fashioned gas station look gives this logo vintage charm created by Cara Christenson. Two different types of vintage typeface take this image back several decades, while the vintage motorcycle emerging from the friendly circle ties into the name. The ‘o’ in Obie is the front tire of this machine, a shape that is echoed in the general circular shape of the design.
Miami Aesthetic Surgery
9 This is an interesting field for a vintage logo design because it uses such modern techniques and materials, but the late fifties art deco motif is nonetheless appropriate. A silhouette of a woman stretched languidly, with overlapping colors and shapes tying into the art of the era. Period writing in coordinating colors completes the vintage look. This aesthetic surgery practice is likely trying to attract women who pursue plastic surgery to get a classically beautiful look, and this logo design will certainly communicate a great deal about the style and brand of this practice.
Because the word ‘vintage’ can refer to a variety of styles, there is a great deal of inspiration to choose from in vintage logo design. If you think one of these styles may best represent your own company, talk to a logo designer about different eras and the emotions that each invokes.
