The Most Expensive Logos in History: dazzling successes or costly failures?

Analysis of five logos that cost more than $200,000 to complete

Not all firms agree to share the amount paid for a brand image. Sometimes, millions are spent by companies in the hope of having a perfect logo. Some redesigns are successes, while others miss the mark.

Let us introduce you to five of the most expensive logos in history.

London Olympic Games Logo - $625,000

Olympic logos are some of the most difficult types of logos to create. In addition to having to meet all the criteria of the International Olympic Committee, it must be representative of the city, but also of the host country. In addition, don’t forgot that this emblem will be seen by the whole planet.

Throughout history, we have been treated to magnificent logos that are representative and memorable. Unfortunately, we have also seen some less successful logos. This is the case with the logo of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Despite its significant cost, people didn't like it for several reasons. On one hand, people thought it was too abstract. On the other hand, people didn't see any direct links with the beautiful city of London, which has a very special history and monuments.

Discover the meaning of the Paris Olympic Games logo.

Pepsi Logo - $1 million

When a brand has been around for more than 100 years and is recognized as one of the most important in its field, its logo hardly ever changes. A good example of this is the Coca-Cola logo. Even after more than a hundred years and several changes in trends, this drink has remained true to its emblem.

On the contrary, one of its biggest competitors opted for the opposite strategy. In fact, Pepsi has had nearly 10 logos in a hundred years. For the purposes of this article, we will look at the 2008 redesign, although a new logo has been released in the last few months. In this 1-million-dollar version, we see the basic visual components of the brand, namely the shape and colors. While the result wasn't a failure, this logo failed to become iconic.

 

BBC Logo – $1.8 million

When you're an entity that is considered reliable and reputable, it can be intimidating to change your logo. It is necessary to pay particular attention to all the details and ensure that the result will be successful so as not to damage the credibility acquired over the years.

An expensive but successful logo is that of the British Broadcasting Corporation, better known as the BBC. Here, the focus is on the 1997 redesign, which cost $1.8 million, but which laid the groundwork for a completely new brand image that is still relevant today. At first glance, the whole thing is relatively simple. These are just letters in black squares. However, as we've seen many times, often simplicity is key. This logo also has the important advantage of being flexible. It can therefore be used with different color palettes as needed.
 

British Petroleum Logo - $210 million

In several of our articles, we have discussed the importance of choosing symbols and a color palette related to your industry or corporate values. This is one of the basics for designing company logos. Unfortunately, sometimes you can make a mistake even if you hire professionals for several million.
 

This is not the first time that British Petroleum, BP, has been mentioned in one of our articles. It is often used an example of what not to do. It is true that yellow and green have been used by the brand for a long time, but the flower symbol and gradient used would be more suitable for a political party or environmental association than an oil company that was involved in one of the largest spills in history. There is a significant dissonance between the logo and the company in question.

Symantec Logo - $1.28 billion

Now let's move on to what is considered to be the most expensive logo in history so far. This price, but above all this invoice goes to Symantec, which has since become NortonLifeLock and Gen Digitals. This multinational company specialises in security software.

While the amount may raise eyebrows, it should be mentioned that it included the purchase of VeriSign. You've probably already seen this symbol on the web, as it's used to verify transactional sites. This logo was only used for ten years, although the check mark is still present today.

In conclusion, just because you decide to work with the best agency and agree to spend millions doesn't guarantee your logo will be a success. In fact, there have been many failures and mediocre results among the most expensive logos. 

For yourself, if you're looking for a logo for your new business, but are on a budget, you can always try our free editor. If you are looking for professionals, you should know that it is possible to hire the experts at FreeLogoDesign to have a custom logo. Don't hesitate to contact us, it won't cost you millions, we promise!