10 Corporate Logos and Their Hidden Meanings

When you see a logo, if it's doing it's job right you immediately think of the company behind it. Do you ever stop and wonder about its deeper meanings, though?

When you see a logo, if it's doing its job right you immediately think of the company behind it.

Do you ever stop and wonder about its deeper meanings, though?

Here's the story behind 10 of the most well known ones.

Number 10. FedEx. While it seems like it's just a bunch of blocky letters, if you look closely, you'll notice an arrow between the E and the X. It's there to serve as a subtle reminder of their speed and accuracy.

Number 9. Amazon. Ever think that their logo seems to be smiling at you? Well, it is. The grin also connects the letters A and Z, because they have everything from one end of the alphabet to the other.

Number 8. Baskin Robbins. The cheery B and R in their logo stands for the ice cream store's name, but they've also slipped a 31 in there, as a reminder they have a flavor for every day of the month.

Number 7. Tour de France. Can you tell where the cyclist is? Here's a hint -- it's in the letter R.

Number 6. Toblerone. Next time you buy a bar, take a moment to look at the mountain on the wrapper. If you stare at that image for a while, a bear will begin to emerge from the negative space. The animal is the official symbol of Berne, Switzerland, where the candy is made.

Number 5. Vaio. Sony makes a lot of products that blend analog and digital, so it only makes sense that the logo for their Vaio family of merchandise would do the same. The curve that makes the V and the A represents an analog wave, and the I and O mimic binary code.

Number 4. Tostitos. If a bag of Tostitos makes you think 'fiesta', then the logo is working. The letters in the middle double as an image of two people enjoying some good times over a bowl of salsa.

Number 3. IBM. The striped letters designed for the company are intended to reference speed and dynamism. It's been in use since 1972, and has endured as one of the most recognized brand identities in the world.

Number 2. Mercedes Benz. The carmaker's logo has become synonymous with luxury, but it was originally designed to symbolize ambition. Early on, the goal was to conquer all modes of transportation -- land, air, and sea. Therefore, the company created a logo with a star point for each.

Number 1. Starbucks. In creating their logo, the company's founders wanted to incorporate the maritime history of the coffee trade and Seattle's importance as a port city. They came across a Norse woodcut of a siren and knew it was the one they were after.