Nike, Apple, Mastercard: when brands drop the name

While many brands have a logo, it is rare that they communicate using only the logo. Most often, the company name is associated with the logo. In fact, most companies protect the combination of the name and logo with semi-figurative trademarks. Even though many companies own purely figurative trademarks, it has been observed that they find it difficult to detach themselves from the name in order to communicate. However, the trend seems to be towards figurative trademarks. For example, Mastercard recently presented its new logo, which is devoid of any verbal character.

NIKE and APPLE: iconic and distinctive logos

The famous Nike comma was created in 1971 by an American design student, Carolyn Davidson. In return for her creation, Carolyn received the sum of 35$. A few years later, Nike showed its appreciation by offering her several shares in the company. In 1995, Nike registered the figurative trademark representing the comma. After this registration, the company decided to delete its name and leave the place to the logo.

Apple communicates almost exclusively with the famous crunchy apple logo. The company attaches great importance to the protection of its brands. It has even implemented a rules for the use of its trademarksThe website can be accessed online. According to this document, it is strictly forbidden to use the Apple logo without a license agreement or specific authorization. The company specifies that the prohibition applies to variations of this logo, that is, any image of an apple (real or drawn).

While this rule may seem exaggerated, it is also simple to understand. Indeed, the Apple logo is recognized worldwide and has greatly contributed to the success of the brand. An uncontrolled use of the apple would amount to a dilution of the trademark, which could lead to a loss of rights.

There are also several other brands whose visual identity is based on a simple logo (MacDonald's, Twitter, Starbucks...). Recently, Mastercard has joined the group of "iconic logos".

MASTERCARD: a logo and nothing else

The Mastercard logo, consisting of two overlapping red and yellow-orange circles, has been in existence since 1968. It was not until 1979 that the name MASTERCARD appeared.

After 40 years of brand building, and minimal changes, the company announces the removal of the brand name, in favour of the logo alone. From now on, the symbol should appear alone on credit cards, payment and withdrawal areas. The company's marketing director announced last January that 80% of consumers identified this logo as Mastercard's. The company sees this major shift as a logical evolution.

However, the question of the slogan was not addressed.

 "There are some things you can't buy. For everything else, there are  ».

To learn more about figurative trademarks (and the legal risks of changing a logo), you can see our article on the subject.