Iconic logos are smart, beautiful, creative, memorable, and sometimes even witty.
And, as you probably know by now, designing your logo can take time, as you need to research your target audience and come up with ideas.
To spark your imagination, let’s explore some of the UK’s most iconic and memorable logos to help give you ideas for your own logo design.
Let’s get started.
Jaguar cars are synonymous with luxury and British style, producing high-end vehicles that not only perform well but are also gorgeous to look at.
And, Jaguar’s logo perfectly encapsulates their brand, with a leaping Jaguar and luxurious custom designed font.
The explosive jump of the feline animal conveys an outburst of action—a perfect analogy for the fast acceleration of their cars. Meanwhile, the silver all-caps logo font is bold and authoritative but doesn’t take away any of the animal’s impact. By using clever 3D shading, the logo appears alive and ready to go.
British Telecom company BT is one of the most well-known UK companies, providing broadband internet, mobile services, and TV subscriptions not just to Great Britain, but countries around the world.
Historically, BT has always had its name in the logo with a different icon. Until recently, they used an abstract, multi-colored globe—a beautiful representation of their international reach.
But in 2019, they unveiled a new logo with a fresh concept. They obliterated the icon and have gone with a minimalist approach instead.
The stripped-down new design has sans-serif BT letters within a plain circle that make BT’s identity less complicated and more fitting for the digital world, where logo space is at a premium.
Lovers of chocolate and sweets will instantly recognize Cadbury’s logo. In the UK, purple is traditionally the color of royalty, and high-class. A fitting theme for chocolate!
And to make their logo stand out, Cadbury created their own handwritten font to add a touch of class and sophistication to their brand.
Their message is clear. When you buy Cadbury’s chocolate, you’re purchasing the best.
The London Underground (Or as Londoners call it, ‘the tube’) opened in 1863 and was the world’s very first passenger railways situated under the earth.
There are 270 stations and 250 miles of train tracks. But did you know only 45% of the tube is underground? A lot of it is on the surface.
And, about 5 million people ride the tube every day, which works out to more than a billion people each year!
What’s even more remarkable is the London Underground logo has remained mostly unchanged since its creation in 1916. The iconic red circle and blue bar with UNDERGROUND are instantly recognizable thanks to its use of bold, primary colors and a clear and practical, sans-serif font.
The UK National Lottery wasn’t always popular in the UK. In fact, in 2002 they decided to rebrand due to falling sales. People just weren’t interested in playing the lottery or buying scratch cards.
So, in 2006, they unveiled their new logo and upped their advertising. It worked like a charm.
Their new logo is effective because they’ve managed to roll up their main message into one image: crossed fingers. Playing the lottery doesn’t require any skill, just luck.
Rolls Royce is famous for creating the highest-quality cars in the world. They’ve transformed themselves into a dream brand, and owning a Rolls Royce is a symbol of wealth and power.
They use only the best materials to produce their cars, and most of the production line consists of highly trained workers handcrafting the car throughout its assembly.
Whenever you see a Rolls Royce, it’s hard not to turn your head and imagine yourself in the driving seat (or even sitting in the back while the chauffeur does all the driving). And a huge driving force behind their branding is their eloquently designed logo— two overlapping Rs.
The design is simple, timeless, and above all, speaks of a premium brand that knows they’re the real deal. If you’re looking to create a high-quality brand logo, sometimes less is more.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Media company is similar to BT, providing internet, phone and TV subscriptions. Virgin Media’s old logo had a lot more detail than it does now. They, too, followed the trend of simplifying their design to match the current pattern of simple, clean, minimalist logo designs.
They even removed the Union Jack flag from their logo, replacing it with the word MEDIA. But by simplifying their logo, they can use it across multiple marketing mediums, both online and offline, without the hassle of worrying how the logo will look.
Virgin Media uses red as its primary brand color, and by sticking to their guns, along with their unique Virgin font style, their logo is instantly recognizable.
The English love to drink tea, and they especially love to drink PG Tips. Just walk into any UK supermarket, and you’ll see hundreds and hundreds of boxes of PG Tips ready to be purchased.
In their logo design, PG has used calming red and green shades, and a noticeable-but-straightforward green leaf. The effect is a logo that not only catches your eye thanks to its contrasting colors but also creates a calming and soothing effect—a perfect combo to represent your tea brand.
The Brits are fond of cycling on their bikes (just look at their Prime Minister, Boris Johnson), and the British Cycling organization is always on hand, providing advice, support, and planning cycling events up and down the country.
Their logo uses cunning imagery; with just a few lines, they’ve cleverly created an image of a rider on his bicycle. Can you vocalize your brand’s name using only images?
Handball is a highly physical sport, and it gained popularity when the Olympics were hosted in London.
With their active logo, they’ve mixed a leaping player coupled with the Union Jack, combining two of their most important branding elements into one.
Anyone who needs health and beauty items can always pop into Boots to pick up what they need, as they have plenty of stores across the UK.
And, they’ve jumped on the minimalism bandwagon as well. They’ve kept their iconic font—which is easily recognizable on the high-street—but have changed their background to a simple but elegant and energetic purple. Their logo conveys a feeling of trust and intelligence—an excellent choice for a brand that focuses on health and beauty.
Your logo signifies your presence in the real world and in the online world. It also portrays your brand’s identity, product, and services – which is why it’s so crucial to get it right!
And as you can see, plenty of UK brands have changed their logos throughout the years as their companies have evolved, and to keep pace with the latest trending designs.
It’s never too late to rethink your logo design and learn from the most popular companies what the secret sauce is to their logo success.
Now that you’ve being inspired, why not try Tailor Brands Logo Maker and design the next iconic UK logo.
The information provided on this page is for information, educational, and/or editorial purposes only. It is not intended to indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brand or logo identified on this page.
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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