Stokes: Starbucks
As Peirce has it, anything that conveys information falls into one of the three categories of signs. These are the index, which points to the actual existence of the signified thing (as smoke does to fire); the icon, which resembles the thing it represents (as this does to fire); and the symbol, which is purely arbitrary, like the word “fire” itself. The Starbucks logo, somewhat improbably, manages to be all three of these things.
First, the symbolic aspect: there is no earthly reason why a picture of a mermaid should be associated with coffee. There’s no particular reason why we should even think this girl is a mermaid, for that matter—although the original version is much more explicit and frankly a little disturbing. But that’s how symbols work! They have meaning simply because we decide they have meaning. Moving on.
Second, the logo as icon. If it’s an arbitrary symbol, how can it also be a non-arbitrary icon? For this to work, we have to accept that the logo can represent more than one thing. But this isn’t such a huge stretch. When we hand over our $10 for a venti cinnamon-dusted frapolation, we aren’t just buying coffee. We’re buying a slice of Seattle hippiedom. And for that, a mermaid—or even just a smiling long haired girl with a stupid hat, holding what might well in the modern version be some sort of elaborate bong – is as good an icon as you could ask for.
Finally, we have the indexical function of the logo. This is the hardest to justify… after all, when we see the Starbucks logo on a billboard, it doesn’t imply the existence of coffee. It doesn’t imply the existence of hippiedom either… billboards rarely do. But it’s absolutely an index of the other thing that the Starbucks logo represents: RAMPANT CAPITALISM.
Good symbols should not be bastardizable (that a word?). The Christian cross is to simple. It has been tweaked, perverted, adorned or otherwise adapted to the subdivision of Christianity.
The Red Cross gets major points for universality and it will likely win because it is most recognizable versus best all around.
American Apparell is just ripping off the Gap from the 80’s(? – egads was it that long ago). Sun has a good logo, just like Nabisco and Nike, but it’s just good.
Which leaves Starbucks. The damn thing is so unique, ubiquitious, and uniformly represented that it beats the Red Cross. Sure, we associate the Red Cross with video game powerups. Did you know that they are in charge of getting messages to military members on the front lines? Did you know that they shot into fame by helping out at the Jamestown flood, by bringing both supplies and a PR crew. They do blood drives, they do so many things that people don’t think about instantly.
Green Mermaid lady -> instantly we think ofcoffee, wifi, music, done.
I wish I knew you folks were actually writing up the worst logo, because I would have chimed in. The worst logo is clearly the universal radiation warning sign. It is, in fact, so ineffective a logo (from certain angles it looks like an angel), that the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA spent years trying to replace it with something that better signified, “Stay away from this shit! It will melt your eyes!”
Check it: http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=160
I’ve been a big fan of the Sun logo for years, for precisely the reasons mentioned. The argument for the Red Cross was compelling, though.
@Wrather: I know Starbuck is from Moby Dick, but I didn’t remember that he had a coffee fixation. Incidentally, the Starbucks people were originally planning on calling their store either Pequod or Moby’s Coffee, depending on which account you read. I do like the fact that, thanks to the ubiquity of Starbucks coffee, all three mates in Moby Dick are now named after chemical dependencies (the other two being Stubb (i.e. of a cigar) and Flask (i.e. of hooch.)
@Mlawski: You’re totally right. Now, the international biohazard symbol, on the other hand – you know, the one they put on medical waste and the like – that one looks like it would slice you up reeaal good, just for making eye contact.
What about the Jesus Fish, then?
I would have voted for SBux, but apparently I missed the deadline. Where are the results?
My vote goes for Christianity’s Cross. The Red Cross was close, though, The Jesus Fish is a symbol, and thus lacks the power that puts the crucifixion’s cross at the top.
Sun Microsystems strange shapes actually looks like S’s, but are also obviously U’s and N’s. Holy Crap!