The 20 Most Controversial Logos of All Time (Ranked)

From graphic designer oversights and unprompted rebrands to conspiracy theories and racial overtones, we have seen lots of bizarre, wacky, and downright disastrous logos in current occasions. On this rating, we will condense down eight of probably the most controversial. Let’s get into the listing.

20) Junior Jazz Dance Lessons – When you see it…

This notorious advert is likely one of the few on this listing that got here from a comparatively unknown model, but it surely’s just too hilarious to not embody.

In case you’re one of many fortunate ones who see a pair of high-spirited jazz lovers performing a vigorous dance, we envy you. Examine this emblem carefully, nevertheless, and you might simply see one thing else fully. Do not consider me? Give attention to the white house between the dancers. When you see it, you will battle to look away.

If there have been a dictionary definition for design tunnel imaginative and prescient, this is able to be the accompanying illustration. The one cause this is not ranked larger is that Junior Jazz Dance Lessons are small-scale in comparison with lots of the different disastrous rebrands on this listing.

Ah, effectively, no less than this emblem seemingly secured them some publicity. For higher or for worse, it’s going to be burned into our recollections perpetually.

19) Arlington Pediatric Heart – No elaboration wanted

Okay, I’m taking all of it again. Earlier, I mentioned that Junior Jazz Dance Lessons’ rebrand was the final word instance of design tunnel imaginative and prescient. Now, I’m recanting that assertion.

When Arlington Pediatric Heart displayed their new emblem on public signage again in 2009, it didn’t take lengthy for commuters to level out that their ‘family-friendly’ icon may very well be taken the incorrect method.

There’s no details about whether or not the corporate nonetheless makes use of the brand immediately, however contemplating each Google search of ‘Arlington Pediatric Heart’ instantly leads you to photographs of the brand, I’m unsure a rebrand may save them.

18) The Institute of Oriental Research – Severely?

Right here we go once more.

This one is supposed to be a pagoda in entrance of the solar, however most customers see one thing fully completely different. Want I say extra?

The Brazilian College of Santa Catarina shortly realized its mistake and axed the brand earlier than struggling any additional ridicule.

17) Workplace of Authorities Commerce – Please make it cease

The UK’s Workplace of Authorities Commerce spent over £14,000 on its grand emblem redesign again in 2008. Shoppers had been fast to level out its shortcomings.

The rebrand appears high quality when seen on the regular angle, however rotate the brand 90 levels, and it is a wholly completely different story. Add this one to the ‘unintendedly sexual’ class of horrible logos.

The federal government physique stood by its new look, arguing that, whereas the brand may very well be misinterpreted, it isn’t inappropriate for a company “trying to have a agency grip on Authorities spend”. Interpret that as you would like.

The OGC was closed in 2011. Sadly, their newfound hands-on method to management did little to avoid wasting them from finances cuts.

16) Hillary Clinton – Hospital: First exit in your proper

Hillary makes a transfer in the correct route (Credit score: Hillary for America)

Hillary Clinton’s 2015 marketing campaign emblem was speculated to symbolize progress. Sadly, web customers did not see it that method.

Some advised the ‘purple arrow’ emblem was a veiled announcement that Clinton was making an unprecedented shift to the political proper wing. Others merely thought it appeared like instructions to a close-by hospital.

Both method, the brand didn’t do Hillary any favors, with most agreeing the design was something however inspiring.

15) College of California – Emblem design pending

The College of California unveiled its new look emblem in 2012. Sadly, this one didn’t obtain high marks.

Whether or not you assume it appears like a bathroom seat or a loading icon (maybe the actual emblem merely hasn’t loaded in but), there is no denying this redesign is abysmal.

Admittedly, this emblem was solely meant for communications supplies, that means it was by no means truly set to interchange the trademark seal. Regardless, it was a lot too late. The college was embarrassed, and the brand was promptly axed.

14) BP – An oil titan goes ‘inexperienced’

When British Petroleum spent $200 million on its rebrand again in 2000, customers may barely conceal their laughter.

The redesign was a part of the oil firm’s efforts to look as an eco-conscious model. However it could take greater than a classy new sun-shaped emblem to tug the wool over anybody’s eyes.

BP’s historical past of horrendous local weather disasters is well-storied. From disastrous oil spills to fossil gas fiascos, the oil big has been doing its bit to make local weather reversal as difficult as doable for over a century. Approach to go!

With this in thoughts, it appeared nearly destiny that their new ‘inexperienced’ emblem would come again to chunk them. And it did, with 1000’s creating parodies to mock the model’s efforts. Awful luck, BP.

13) Corsair – Gaming emblem or regrettable tattoo?

Gaming model Corsair launched its new emblem to the general public in 2014, eradicating the popular six flags icon within the course of.

The corporate’s grand new concept featured two curved scimitars joined on the hilt. Sadly, most customers thought the redesign appeared extra like a tattoo than a pair of interlocked swords.

Understandably, Corsair did not publicly acknowledge that the brand carefully resembled a feminine decrease again tattoo. They did, nevertheless, quietly discontinue the design in 2016.

12) The Premier League – Customers roar about axed lion

Okay, I admit. That is the one redesign on this listing that did not truly occur. However the controversy was real.

The Premier League’s iconic lion has been the model’s much-loved mascot since 1992. Naturally, when passionate followers realized that the league deliberate to kill the nation’s favourite feline, they responded with livid anger.

In fact, everybody was incorrect. The league unveiled its rebrand, and the lion remained entrance and heart. It seems the ‘information’ was pretend all alongside. Oops. Terribly sorry concerning the dangerous publicity. Can I nonetheless get a season ticket for subsequent yr?

11) BT – Emblem oversimplification at its worst

After years of growth and numerous delays, BT lastly unveiled its monumental new emblem again in 2019.

The end result? A circle with the letters’ BT’ written inside—all one coloration. Generic, a lot?

Followers understandably mocked the rebrand, which changed BT’s colourful globe icon.

However let’s take a special stance. Maybe BT was truly an innovator, paving the best way for inspiring manufacturers like Elon Musk’s ‘X’ to hop on the one-color emblem bandwagon.

Okay, in all probability not. However we’re looking for some type of silver lining right here.

10) P&G – Deliver out the tinfoil hats

What would an inventory of controversial logos be with no wholesome dose of conspiracy?

Proctor and Gamble had been ruthlessly attacked for years over their emblem design, with some arguing that the picture contained references to the Satan.

Conspirators identified what seemed to be an inverted ‘666’ within the beard of the corporate’s mascot. Additionally they argued that the satan’s horns had been seen on the higher and decrease edges of the design.

I am not one to level fingers, particularly in relation to the Antichrist, however this one appears a little bit tenuous.

Even so, P&G finally eliminated the brand in 1991 amidst the Satanic Panic, changing it with a a lot tougher to misread typographic emblem. Phew. Higher luck subsequent time, Devil.

9) eBay – From 90s playfulness to company bore

When eBay gained recognition within the late 90s, a part of the web site’s attraction was its rough-around-the-edges aesthetic. This was a consumer-driven market, in any case. Utilizing the public sale felt enjoyable, if a little bit wild west, and the brand on the time was the perfect advocate for this.

eBay’s rebrand in 2012 launched a brand new, slimmer model of the brand, turning what was as soon as a playful reflection of 90s tradition into a company trademark. The redesign was a painful reminder to early web customers that the enjoyable days of the online had been effectively and actually behind them.

Hey, no less than they did not take notes from BT. An all-black eBay emblem can be a horrible concept, proper? That mentioned, it has been eleven years because the web site’s final rebrand. By no means say by no means.

8) Soiled Hen – They knew what they had been doing

Soiled Hen’s catering firm delivers meals and drinks to music festivals in Wales. Sadly, the standard of the corporate’s refreshments is fully overshadowed by their hilariously phallic emblem.

The meals van claims the brand is only a intelligent option to hyperlink collectively the ‘d’ and ‘b’ initials of the enterprise title, with the 2 conveniently positioned loops forming the feathery wings.

Naturally, customers aren’t satisfied, with many saying the brand is pornographic and completely not what you wish to take into consideration earlier than you tuck into some scrumptious fried hen. Controversy apart, props to Soiled Hen for maintaining the gag. Even immediately, the ‘rooster’ icon nonetheless stands tall as the corporate’s cocksure mascot.

7) Starbucks – Since you do not want a reputation to be recognizable

When Starbucks realized how recognizable its model had grow to be by 2011, it unveiled an enormous emblem redesign, eradicating lots of the parts customers had grown to know and love.

The ‘Starbucks’ title was dropped, and the enduring siren was delivered to the forefront. The emblem shed its black highlights in favor of a simplified inexperienced and white duotone. Starbucks loyalists had been extremely annoyed, with many taking to Fb to specific how a lot they hated the brand new look.

Starbucks refused to cave beneath shopper strain. The espresso big nonetheless proudly stands behind its simplified siren immediately.

6) IHOP – Smiling face or mascot on the point of madness?

In 2015, IHOP modified its emblem for the primary time in over 20 years, introducing an odd purple curve beneath the ‘o’ and ‘p’.

The brand new look emblem was supposed to resemble a smile, maybe representing a shopper’s unshakeable happiness when biting right into a stack of Unique Buttermilk Pancakes.

Sadly, nevertheless, followers did not see it that method. Other than being one other instance of pointless emblem simplification, many remarked that the brand new icon extra carefully resembled a clown smiling via the ache than a cheerful shopper tucking into an IHOP lunch.

Sadly, the road made by the ‘p’ makes the mascot appear to be shedding a solitary tear. Maybe that is precisely how IHOP’s graphic design group reacted when studying the horrendous opinions of their rebrand. Ouch.

5) Airbnb – It is a sexual organ… It is Peter Griffin’s chin… It is Airbnb’s new emblem!

This Airbnb emblem took some critical warmth from the general public when it was launched again in 2014, a lot so {that a} Tumblr webpage was arrange with the precise aim of mocking the disastrous redesign.

The insults had been wide-ranging and various. Some customers claimed the brand was a ripoff of Automation Wherever’s emblem. One Twitter consumer claimed the brand was an incredible feat of “how you can resemble as many sexual organs without delay as doable”. Some uniquely artistic members of the design group even Photoshopped the new logo onto Peter Griffin’s iconic butt-chin.

Regardless of the backlash, Airbnb caught by its emblem, saying that the corporate was ready for the social media response and that controversy wasn’t new to them. They nonetheless use the brand to this present day.

4) London 2012 – This one is not taking residence the gold

When Wolff Olins unveiled its $400,000 Olympic emblem in 2007, it did not take lengthy for the unfavorable opinions to roll in.

Many conspired that the brand was laden with hidden messages. Some claimed it resembled a swastika. Others labeled it as sexually suggestive (let’s hope they weren’t regulars at Arlington Pediatric Heart).

Iran even threatened to boycott the Olympics, claiming the brand was a thinly-veiled pro-Israeli conspiracy as a result of it spelled the phrase ‘Zion’, which, by the way, appears considerably much like ‘2012’ once you rotate sure letters and stretch your creativeness to its limits.

Naturally, the Olympic Committee caught to their weapons (you’d hope this had been the case after the $400k price ticket). And, because the Olympics lastly rolled round in 2012, it appears most had forgotten concerning the cataclysmic emblem unveiling simply 5 years prior. I am sure Wolff Olins’ design group breathed a collective sigh of aid.

3) Aunt Jemima – When small modifications aren’t ok

Missouri newspaper editor Chris L. Rutt unveiled his self-rising flour model again within the late 1800s, naming his product after “Aunt Jemima”, a ballad carried out by minstrel songwriters.

Over time, the model’s id grew to become synonymous with the racist “mammy” stereotype, a caricature that depicts black feminine slaves as cheerful housekeepers for white households.

Quaker Oats, the proprietor of the model, made dozens of modifications to the brand over time in an try to minimize the controversy surrounding the brand. However nothing may detract from the truth that the corporate was based on racial stereotypes.

Following a long time of controversy, the Aunt Jemima model was renamed to Pearl Milling Firm again in 2021. Rejoice!

2) Hole – A lesson in pointless modifications

When US clothes retailer Hole launched its new million-dollar emblem design again in 2010, the world was fast to remind them why unprompted, soulless firm modifications are poor enterprise etiquette.

The brand new look Hole emblem did away with the corporate’s iconic blue field in favor of an all-black font and unusual vivid blue gradient sq. subsequent to the ‘p’. All of it appeared very vanilla, made infinitely worse by the questionable ‘Helvetica’ typeface, which does not precisely scream ‘younger goal demographic’.

Hundreds of customers flocked to social media to tear the disastrous emblem aside. Unsurprisingly, Hole shortly reversed the change. The brand new look emblem lasted a grand whole of six days earlier than resigning. Hole CEO Marka Hansen promptly adopted go well with, leaving the corporate simply 4 months later.

1) Cleveland Indians – Chief Wa-how may this one not take the highest spot?

Beating out the competitors by a slender margin, the Cleveland Indians’ Chief Wahoo emblem takes first prize.

Advocates have spoken out in opposition to the mascot for many years, arguing that the brand depicts an offensive caricature of a Native American character and, due to this fact, contributes to the mockery of American Indians.

Supporters of the Mascot, nevertheless, retorted that the character is solely a cartoon and never supposed to offend anybody.

The Cleveland Indians finally eliminated the brand design from all of their branding, altering their title to the Cleveland Guardians within the course of.

Whether or not you are for or in opposition to it, it is simple the previous Cleveland Indians emblem was divisive. The truth that over 50 US senators and President Barack Obama voiced their assist for the model change tells the entire story. This emblem has rightfully earned its place on the high of our listing. It might simply be probably the most controversial emblem of all time.