‘Tis the season!
The one time of the year when Mariah Carey’s Christmas album is on full blast (leaving that up to you to decide whether that’s a good or bad thing) in every store, and every aisle you browse has gotten a seasonal branding makeover.
Whether you sell a physical product such as greeting cards, or provide a service like baking workshops, tweaking your logo to fit the season can help increase your sales, build loyalty, and strengthen your business’s identity.
Let’s kick off the season by checking out what a holiday logo can do for you and how you can get started now.
People love the holidays. And just in the same way people deck out their house or office space, you want your business to show some holiday cheer with a seasonal logo.
A seasonal or holiday logo is simply taking your original logo and modifying it slightly. Doing so allows your business the opportunity to use your existing branding to celebrate the holiday season without drastically changing the overall image.
It isn’t a complete branding redo! You still want to maintain your core brand messaging, but with a little seasonal spice. Once the season is over, you can go back to your original logo or get ready for whatever holiday is coming up next.
The good news is anyone who makes a logo with Tailor Brands automatically has a seasonal logo generated in their studio for every major holiday. Here are some examples of holiday logos made with our logo generator:
When spooky season creeps up, you better be ready to serve a Halloween-esque logo! Just like kids go trick-or-treating expecting candy, your target audience wants to see you get into the Halloween spirit.
Changing your business’s icon is an easy way to do so; choose which icon works best for you depending on the visual aspects of your existing logo. Take Boho Bird’s logo as a good example. To coincide with their original abstract icon of an outline of a bird, they chose 2 bats mid-flight.
A great way to change your logo to fit the holiday is to add some season-appropriate colors. To fit the Thanksgiving season, Jasmine Personal Stylist’s logo added a few orange and yellow leaves surrounding her name, touching on the foliage of the fall.
Add a dash of Christmas cheer to your logo design to keep your business relevant and fill your customers with joy. Brain Click made magical modifications to their logo with a sprinkle of snowflakes. And, come on, even the Grinch would smile at Raven Boutique’s waving snowman!
You’ll also notice that both businesses decided to change the color scheme of their logo, as well, to match the Christmas aesthetic. We’ll talk more about color schemes later on.
Ring in the New Year with a logo design change that reaches your target audience in a unique way. I love Optimus’s logo modification because it not only added a pop of color to catch the eye, but the change also humanizes their business.
Let your logo beat true for the red, white, and blue this 4th of July!
Bell & Tailor’s logo celebrates America’s birthday by paying tribute to the colors of our flag, even including a white star in the center of the heart. This is a creative example of how a business’s logo can take what they already have and make it holiday-friendly.
Now that you’ve seen some examples of seasonal logos, let’s talk about how they can help your business.
Yours is not the only business in the market, so it’s up to you to stand out from the crowd. Even the small things that differentiate you from your competitors can put your business ahead. Seasonal branding is one way to make your business different and make people take notice.
What if your competitors create a seasonal logo but you don’t? Those other businesses will attract attention, while you might be left behind and miss out on potential customers and sales.
Modifying your logo to fit the season sparks interest in your business’s seasonal campaign. If you have a seasonal product, such as a gingerbread scented candle, or provide a season-specific service, like pumpkin carving classes, then creating a holiday logo will help draw attention to your specialty line.
For example, a wellness coach might promote their health and mindfulness podcasts during the sometimes-stressful Christmas season. A local construction business could incorporate a summer theme into their logo to promote a summertime-only sale. A makeup artist could release new colors that coordinate with the season. A baker might use special holiday packaging to boost gift sales.
No matter what your business is, branding your logo to fit the holidays can draw attention and attract new customers.
A Harvard professor found that 95% of purchasing decisions are driven by unconscious urges, the biggest being emotion. From warm, fuzzy feelings on Valentine’s Day to insatiable hunger on National Donut Day (it’s on the first Monday of June of each year, in case you were wondering), holidays make us get into our feelings.
Form a deeper emotional connection with your target audience by tapping into all that existing emotion. Seasonal logos are an excellent way to do so, as well as engage with current and potential customers. Eliciting an emotional response from your customers means that they’re more likely to remember your brand and turn to your business.
Plus, an emotional connection related to the season or holiday may encourage a customer to make a purchase they might not have made otherwise.
Now that we’ve covered all the benefits of having a seasonal logo, let’s talk about how to actually create one. Follow these 5 tips and you’ll be well on your way to creating a seasonal logo that hits the mark.
The key to seasonal branding is to think ahead. It’s easy to get wrapped up in one particular holiday, but planning a few months forward will give you time to coordinate an on-point logo.
Let’s check out different color combinations that, when paired together, make holiday logo magic:
Deck the halls with boughs of holly in red, green, and everything in between! Spread the joy of Christmas with a range of colors that will make your logo stand out from the rest.
We often think of black cats and orange pumpkins on Halloween, but don’t be afraid to make your logo pop with unexpected colors like bright purple and pink.
As the trees change color from red, yellow, orange, and every shade in between, it’s easy to see where we began associating these colors with autumn. Take inspiration from the beauty of nature to incorporate into your seasonal logo.
When you think of the 4th of July, the first colors that come to mind are red, white, and blue. But, that doesn’t mean you’re limited to just those 3 specific shades! Feel free to play around with different shades of blue and red to best match your business’s personality.
Effective seasonal logos maintain your brand identity with a little something extra to tie in with the time of year.
It’s important to ensure that your logo doesn’t become unrecognizable. Adding one or 2 embellishments to your existing logo is great, but don’t lose the essence of your business in a whirlwind of Santa hats and reindeer.
You need to find a balance between seasonal elements (such as icons and colors) and your core brand message. You can do this by establishing which elements of your logo truly define your brand. Stick with that one thing and then build on it.
Your choice of holiday-themed icons is virtually limitless. As I mentioned before, choosing which icon works best for you will depend on the visual aspects of your original logo and the type of business you are.
Let’s say you sell homemade candles. You’d probably benefit from using cozy icons, such as a fire or mistletoe during Christmas time. However, if you run food tours, then you’d want to add an icon of clinking champagne glasses or gingerbread houses.
Here are a few icons you can incorporate into your logo:
When it comes to seasonal logos, less is more. The temptation to sprinkle holiday cheer over every element of your logo is understandable, but it could end up looking too cluttered. And that could deter customers.
Instead, go with a minimalist approach when designing your holiday logo. The rule of thumb is to stick with just one or 2 colors or icons.
We’ve covered what seasonal branding is and the ways it can benefit your business, plus lots of examples of how other businesses updated their logo.
Use these tips to ensure your holiday logo is on-point, aesthetically pleasing, and consumer-friendly.
If you need a logo for your business, try out our free logo maker to get it done. Now it’s your turn to make logo magic!
Carly Miller is a freelance content writer specializing in all things branding related. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her traveling, playing with her dog, or reading a good book.
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