# Well-designed, clever logos: The Encyclopedia of Alabama **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700 "2010-03-16T21:47:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/1 "2010-03-16T21:47:30Z")
I signed up for updates from EoA on Facebook, and it took me a little while to “get” their logo, but it’s wonderful. Check it out [here](http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Home.jsp). What other logos do you think are particularly clever? ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/2 "2010-03-16T21:50:43Z")
The FedEx logo is a rather famous example that I think is clever (spot the arrow!) and very recognizable. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/3 "2010-03-16T22:03:13Z")
Obama’s campaign had a good one. It’s evocative of both the flag and of a sunrise, both of which have strong positive connotations, and the sunrise especially meshes with his message of hope. It’s also an O, which links it with Obama himself. It’s easy to recognize, and it fits perfectly on a pin-on button. Much better than just a star and a horizontal line, like McCain was using. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/4 "2010-03-16T22:44:08Z")
I like most of these: [54 Kick Ass Logos](http://dzineblog.com/2009/01/54-kick-ass-creative-logos.html) Quite creative. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/5 "2010-03-16T22:45:41Z")
Since the FedEx logo has already been mentioned, I really like the [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) logo w/ the arrow pointing from A to Z. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/6 "2010-03-16T22:49:54Z")
> [@HelloNinja](#): > > Since the FedEx logo has already been mentioned, I really like the [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) logo w/ the arrow pointing from A to Z. I think a lot of people miss that one. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/7 "2010-03-16T22:53:03Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > I signed up for updates from EoA on Facebook, and it took me a little while to “get” their logo, but it’s wonderful. > > Check it out [here](http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Home.jsp). > > What other logos do you think are particularly clever? OK - if there’s something I’m supposed to see (other than a book with a bookmark) I guess I’m missing it? ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/8 "2010-03-16T22:59:41Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > OK - if there’s something I’m supposed to see (other than a book with a bookmark) I guess I’m missing it? It’s in the shape of Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/9 "2010-03-16T23:00:38Z")
> [@Strinka](#): > > It’s in the shape of Alabama. Ah! Indeed it is. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/10 "2010-03-16T23:56:35Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I like most of these: > > [54 Kick Ass Logos](http://dzineblog.com/2009/01/54-kick-ass-creative-logos.html) > > Quite creative. I like the EoA logo a lot. Made me laugh like a little kid getting a joke as soon as I saw it. But some of those 54 logos are beyond brilliant. I was floored by more than a few. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/11 "2010-03-16T23:56:38Z")
I was wondering what the pair of Levi’s were doing down near Mobile. The space between the legs is Mobile Bay. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/12 "2010-03-17T00:42:47Z")
Even though [this page](http://www.utk.edu/)has a smallish version of the UT logo, it should be pretty obvious how they’ve adapted UT and the state map. Those 54 logos that **Mahaloth** posted the link to, are going to take some serious effort to improve on. But the Alabama one is very clever. ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/13 "2010-03-17T20:09:12Z")
For years when I lived in Kansas City I used to see the [Capital Electric logo](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3224/3157875670_bb16a60c42.jpg) around town on the backs of their utility trucks, and always thought it was very clever. Just a simple “C” and “E” nested in such a way that the background formed an electrical plug. Now it looks like they’ve tinkered with it by [rendering it in italic with some fake 3D perspective](http://www.capitalelectric.com/main.cfm), so the plug is not so obvious. The old one with simple block letters was much cooler. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/14 "2010-03-17T21:17:22Z")
Southern California Edison, abbreviated SCE, used to have a clever logo where the ‘S’ was the power cord, the ‘C’ was the base of the plug and the ‘E’ were the prongs. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/15 "2010-03-17T21:21:44Z")
> [@HelloNinja](#): > > Since the FedEx logo has already been mentioned, I really like the [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) logo w/ the arrow pointing from A to Z. :smack: I never noticed that. ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/16 "2010-03-17T21:35:52Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > OK - if there’s something I’m supposed to see (other than a book with a bookmark) I guess I’m missing it? I read the bookmark like a little symbolic pair of legs - as if there was a figure with it’s “head in a book” or is it just me? - ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/17 "2010-03-17T21:47:33Z")
> [@Strinka](#): > > It’s in the shape of Alabama. And the bookmark makes a stylized “A”. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/18 "2010-04-14T06:12:43Z")
This thread is nearly a month old, but I just read [this blog post](http://digitalartempire.com/2010/04/88-fantastically-creative-and-brilliant-logos/) with 88 awesome logos and I thought you guys might enjoy them. Some of them showed up in **Mahaloth** ’s link but there are some even BETTER ones. Just amazing what people come up with! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/19 "2010-04-14T06:23:12Z")
> [@Rrose\_Selavy](#): > > I read the bookmark like a little symbolic pair of legs - as if there was a figure with it’s “head in a book” I thought it was a person who got squashed in a giant book, with just the legs sticking out. A little knowlege is a dangerous thing; a big, honking book can kill you! ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700/20 "2010-04-14T06:31:35Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I was wondering what the pair of Levi’s were doing down near Mobile. The space between the legs is Mobile Bay. I like the general idea but I agree with this poster, the bottom looks like a pair of pants. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-designed-clever-logos-the-encyclopedia-of-alabama/532700.md?page=2)