The Story Behind Burberry Logo
When delving into iconic fashion symbols, the Burberry logo design immediately captures attention, akin to the timeless appeal of the Coca-Cola logo. Evoking elegance and tradition, Burberry’s emblem has seamlessly woven itself into the fabric of British culture, much like the iconic beverage brand’s logo. It serves as a testament to the brand’s enduring legacy and commitment to craftsmanship.
As with any emblematic design, the evolution of the Burberry logo tells a captivating tale. From its inception, the logo has been synonymous with Burberry’s quintessential British charm, much like the enduring imagery associated with the Coca-Cola logo. Over time, it has become a visual representation of timeless style and luxury, akin to the iconic beverage brand’s enduring popularity.
For those intrigued by the intersection of design and culture, exploring the history of the Burberry logo design is akin to uncovering a hidden treasure. Just as a logo design service meticulously crafts a brand’s visual identity, Burberry’s logo has undergone careful evolution, mirroring the brand’s journey through time. From its humble beginnings to its modern sophistication, the logo’s story is as intriguing as it is stylish.
Established as a high-end fashion house in 1856, Burberry has stood the test of time much like Coca-Cola. Its instantly recognizable trench coats and checkered patterns have solidified its status as one of the world’s most renowned labels. Much like the logo design services offered by leading agencies, Burberry’s visual identity has been meticulously cultivated, ensuring its resonance across generations.
One cannot overlook the significance of a brand’s logo in shaping its identity. Just as a logo design agency carefully crafts visual representations of brands, Burberry’s logo has played a pivotal role in defining its image. While the iconic equestrian and galloping horse have long been associated with the brand, the decision to remove the rider in 2018 marked a significant shift, reflecting the brand’s evolution while retaining its essence.
Burberry Logo and Its History
Burberry introduced a new monogram and logo in 2018, designed by Peter Saville, marking the brand’s new dawn under creative department head Riccardo Tisci.
The bolder, more modern font replaced the classic “Equestrian Knight” and featured the brand name in uppercase letters and a smaller “LONDON ENGLAND” text. The “TB” monogram, inspired by the founder’s initials, dated back to 1908 and will feature heavily in promotion.
The History of Burberry
Burberry, a renowned luxury fashion brand, has reclaimed its image after mass imitation from rivals. The company’s phoenix-like story began over a century and a half ago with the development of its fabled check design.
Early History
Thomas Burberry founded Burberry in 1856 at 21, creating a revolutionary rainwear label using Gabardine, a tightly woven material. The company grew and relocated to London in 1891, where popular designs gained popularity.
Popular Burberry Designs
Thomas Burberry, a renowned fashion brand, successfully built a popular trench coat in 1912. Despite a dispute over the invention of the trench coat, it became popular with the British Army during World War 1, and Sir Ernest Shackleton wore it on some of his expeditions. Burberry’s trench coat remains a trademark.
The Burberry Check
Burberry, after the success of the Gabardine rainwear, introduced the trench coat and the Burberry check in the 1920s, a signature design from Scottish tartan. However, rivals soon began making imitations.
The Decline of Burberry
Burberry faced a double whammy: imitation of its iconic Burberry check design in the 1980s and 1990s, and ubiquity due to large-scale licensing campaigns. To maintain its status as a luxury fashion house, Burberry launched a campaign to maintain its reputation and attract upper-class consumers, ultimately saving the brand.
Burberry Renaissance
Burberry, led by Christopher Bailey and Angela Ahrendts, launched a campaign to reclaim its brand identity by canceling licenses and reducing the use of the Burberry check to 10% of its products, aiming to reduce football hooligans’ influence.
Burberry Logo Design Evolution
The First Version of Logo (1901–1968)
The Burberry logo design, introduced in 1901, symbolized luxury, power, and nobility. It featured a red equestrian with a pike and shield, symbolizing nobility. The logo underwent refinements from 1968 to 1968, preserving its core essence of elegance, heritage, and quality.
The Second Version of Logo (1968–1999)
In 1968, Burberry’s logo design underwent a modernization, focusing on British heritage and cosmopolitan sophistication. The iconic 1968 Burberry logo design balanced tradition and modernity, creating timeless elegance. This period in branding demonstrates how a logo can adapt to changing times while staying true to core values.
The Third Version of Logo (1999–2018)
In 1999, Burberry’s logo design underwent a significant transformation, blending tradition and modernity. The emblem was enlarged, and the rider was reintroduced with white contours. The wordmark was presented in an elegant serif typeface, and the tagline was adjusted. This era symbolized Burberry’s commitment to excellence and innovation.
The Fourth Version of Logo (2018–2023)
Burberry’s logo design underwent a significant transformation in 2018, embracing a modern, youthful approach. The removal of the knight symbol signaled a willingness to evolve, while the knight remains in tags, packaging, and clothing. The modern simplicity and innovative use of traditional elements represent Burberry’s expertise in fashion.
The Fifth Version of Logo (2023 — Present)
The Burberry logo design for 2023 features a feminine, lively vibe with a new typeface and refined uppercase inscription. The brand’s new approach balances style, mood, and tradition, connecting with a contemporary audience while referencing its rich heritage. The design represents a brand committed to setting trends.
The Symbol, Color and Font
The Burberry logo’s redesign in 2023 features a new typeface with a refined uppercase inscription, elegant font, and playful serifs. The lettering is still plain black, but now appears more feminine and lively, blending Moonllys Regular and Valeson Condensed Regular.
Symbol
The equestrian carries a shield, which is to symbolize knightly purity, honor, pride, grace, nobleness, determination, and protection. The logo is performed in black to express the quality, elegance, power, and durability.
Font
The new Burberry wordmark in all capitals is executed in a modern sans-serif typeface, which is very similar to Urania Extra Bold font, designed by Dieter Hofrichter. It is a stylish interpretation of the old school sans-serifs, with thick neat lines and distinct cuts and angles.
Color
The logo uses various fonts, including Urania Extra Bold, a modified sans serif font, and the Bodoni group’s style. The emblem is black and white, except for the debut version, which was dark red, emphasizing the fashion house’s elegance and durability.
Reflecting the Brand’s Core Values
The Burberry logo design embodies the brand’s values of excellence, innovation, and quality, blending tradition, elegance, and adaptability to inspire designers and enthusiasts.
Burberry’s logo design embodies core values of excellence, innovation, quality, and a balance between tradition and trend-setting, capturing the multifaceted spirit of one of fashion’s most celebrated brands.
Learning Lessons from Burberry Logo
The Burberry logo exemplifies intelligent design, brand strategy, and cultural resonance. It demonstrates consistency, innovation, responsiveness, symbolism, and simplicity in branding. The logo balances innovation with tradition, adapts to market dynamics, and uses symbolism for emotional connection. Its simplicity serves as a blueprint for success in the ever-changing design landscape.
FAQs
What does the Burberry logo mean?
The original Burberry logo depicts a knight with a shield in one hand and a spear in the other. It signifies the fashion house founder’s aspiration to defend his interests. It also conveys nobility, chivalry, grandeur, pride, and sincerity.
What happened to the Burberry logo?
In 2018, the Burberry logo underwent a redesign: it was updated for the first time in 20 years and designed by Peter Saville. The designer removed the image of the horse knight from the emblem, so it is radically different from previous versions.
Why is the Burberry logo TB?
TB is the abbreviation of the brand’s founder’s name, Thomas Burberry. The initials have been used since 1908.
Conclusion
The Burberry logo design stands as a captivating narrative of tradition and innovation within branding, much like the evolution of iconic logos such as the Amazon logo or the Pepsi logo. From its humble origins to its contemporary adaptations, it illustrates a design odyssey that melds retrospective reverence with forward-thinking ingenuity. The Burberry logo, a symbol of the brand’s ethos and adaptability to fashion, offers valuable branding lessons for designers, marketers, and fashion enthusiasts.
Much like the iconic superhero logos that inspire awe and admiration, Burberry’s legacy is woven into the fabric of British identity, with its trademark trench coat range serving as a beacon of quintessential style since its introduction in 1912. Though the brand encountered setbacks during the tumultuous decades of the 1980s and 1990s, it emerged resolutely, solidifying its position as one of Europe and the world’s foremost luxury fashion houses.
With the recent appointment of Riccardo Tisci as the new head creative officer, Burberry embarks on a fresh trajectory, akin to the resilience exhibited by iconic brands like Puma logo . Armed with a rich heritage and an unwavering commitment to innovation, Burberry confronts the future with renewed vigor and confidence, much like the superheroes whose logos symbolize resilience and fortitude.
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