How Much Some Iconic Logos Cost to Create

Looking back on the history of some famous brands, we can see their logos from day one until present day. For some, they have changed a lot while others have changed very little. Some logos cost a lot to create while others cost next to nothing. Have you ever wondered how much a logo cost to make? Well, as a Los Angeles logo design agency, we can tell you exactly how much some famous logos were worth at the time of their creation.

Logos that cost a lot:

1. 2012 Summer Olympics-- London Olympics. This logo cost quite a chunk of change. A total of $665,400 for the logo that some describe as Lisa Simpson doing unspeakable things; a less crass description is that it looks like blocks having a seizure. Google it. It was created by Wolff Olins, who believes that it echoes London's qualities of a modern, chic city. 
2. Pepsi logo. This one cost a cool $1M to create. Created in 2008 by a design agency that is unnamed, it was rumored to be an Obama '08 ripoff. Allegedly, the design agency wrote a 27 page document explaining the cost and how the design was of a "breathtaking strategy" and had inspirations from Da Vinci, Yin-Yang, etc. 
3. BBC logo. This one, the simple "BBC" in three blocks, cost a whopping $1.8M to create. 1.8 million dollars for three letters in blocks. They created the new logo in 1997 to sharpen their image and have a logo that looks better on screen using Gill Sans. 

Logos that were free. 

1. Microsoft logo. This one was still a bit expensive but cheap compared to others. In 2012, the tech giant was designed in-house and would have cost between $250k and $500k if a branding firm had recreated it. 
2. Google logo. The original logo, not the one they have now, was actually created by one of the co-founders using GIMP software. Sergey Brin was happy to have been able to use the software. 
3. Coca-Cola. The original logo was created by Frank M. Robinson, the co-founder and bookkeeper of Coke. He liked the way the two C's looked because they would be nice in advertising. 

Logos that were cheap. 

1. Twitter logo. The original Twitter logo was bought from iStockPhoto, designed by Simon Oxley. According to research, the image cost $15. 
2. Nike logo. This one was designed by a graphic design student back in the early 70s that Phil Knight found. The student needed money for oil paints and charged $35 for the logo. Knight actually did not like the logo but hoped it would grow on him. 

However, despite some of the success from logos that were free or cheap, you can never go wrong with a professionally designed logo. As a Los Angeles graphic design agency, we love helping brands establish their identities with a great logo. Need a logo? Then hire Integraphix!