20 animated logos you need to know

Everyone knows brand visibility is important.

There really is no overstating how beneficial recognizable branding can be to your company's vision, reputation, visual identity, and future.

One of the best practices to gain relevance and credibility is to design a killer logo that aligns with your business model. Better yet? Make your logo animated!

An animated logo, often created using an animated logo maker, is a branded image that contains a range of subtle movements to complex 3D animation effects. When designed expertly, it can act as a one-way ticket to prominence, distinction, and popularity. In this article, we will explain why that is and showcase some of our all-time favorite animation inspiration examples.

Why use a logo?

A logo is the visual reincarnation of your brand. It introduces your company to consumers and serves as an indicator of your professionalism as well as brand personality.

Remember, your brand only has a second to make a great first impression. A powerful logo piques a target customer's interest and delivers a positive first impression, and lives on in their memory.

Without a logo, your brand is virtually nameless. It won't matter if you have the highest quality products or the most attentive staff in the game; if your company is without a logo, it's extremely unlikely that it will leave customers with a decent first impression. This anonymity will make it extremely hard for your company to establish brand loyalty, attract the right customers, and infiltrate other markets and spaces.

Static images vs. animated logos

While having a run-of-the-mill logo is satisfactory, it won't yield extraordinary results.

In order to compete in the current market, your branding shouldn't just keep up with trends—it should set the pace in your niche. A fantastic way to do this is to take your 2D brand logo and make it animated. Here are some reasons why.

Hyper-individualized

Everyone hates a copycat, but in today's saturated market, it's hard to nail down an image, font, or color palette that isn't already taken. However, there are so many individual elements to an animated logo that the likelihood of replicating the resemblance is quite slim. This means your logo will be unique. It allows your logo to become distinctive, potent, and notable in the marketplace.

Attention-grabbing

All eyes gravitate to things that move. It's a simple fact. This means that consumers are instinctively drawn to branding that bounces, spins, warps, or grows over those that stand lifeless. Amazing video motion effects are exciting! Having a dynamic logo that catches the eye of a consumer represents a company that is expanding, serious, and savvy. Who wouldn't want their company to have that impact?

Gripping narrative

One of the key opportunities you have when designing an animation is the ability to tell a story. This opportunity does not exist in the same way when drawing a 2D logo as the creative wiggle-room is quite small. However, animation gives you the license to craft a memorable narrative and most importantly, use it to connect with your customers on an emotional level.

Where to put togos

While logos are important, they hold little power on their own.

They can only step into their power when consistently used by your company in the optimum locations at the most suitable time. That way, it can become a unifying and recognizable symbol for your brand.

So, once you've got your logo ready, we advise embedding it on all branding material. Here are some key locations where you should put it.

• Social media posts
• Social media profile photos
• Email newsletters
• Footers
• Banners
• Targeted ads
• Video ads
• Landing pages
• Promo videos

How to make an animated logo

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a billion-dollar company, technical skills, or extensive know-how from professional graphic designers to craft a top-tier logo. With today's modern animation software, creating a snappy logo can be a piece of cake.

Creating an animated logo using intuitive animation software, such as Linearity Move, has never been easier, even for those without design experience. With this user-friendly animation maker, you can bring your logo to life and enhance your video content effortlessly. Simply import your logo into the software and then add subtle movements that complement your brand identity.

Intuitive tools and pre-designed animation templates enable you to animate elements like text, icons, or shapes seamlessly. Adjust the timing and duration to achieve the desired animation effect. Whether it's a gentle fade-in, a slight rotation, or a subtle pulsating effect, Linearity Move’s features allow you to customize the animation to suit your unique style. In just a few steps, you'll have a captivating animated logo ready to add a professional touch to your videos and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Our top 20 animated logos

Now that we've run through the advantages, background, and basics of animated logos, it's time to showcase our favorite ones of all time. Let's go!

Shazam

Shazam’s logo is dynamic and effective. Not only does its pulsing nature look like it's a speaker booming music, but it also looks like it is making sense of the noise around it. In this way, it is clearly demonstrating Shazam’s unique function.

Firefox

‍Firefox chose a fox as its emblem because they are sharp animals known to be quick, clever, and untamed. When developing the its logo, it’s clear Firefox wanted to have these characteristics represented in the design.

While the blurred, swift movement of the fox insinuates that the browser operates at a fast pace, it also shows that the company is evolving. Firefox uses this fox as its statement logo. It is present on all of its services, apps, and products. When customers see it, they immediately recognize the company, its vision, and its standards.

Lux

Lux Capital is a high-stakes investment company. Their goal is to make money. End of story.

This monochrome logo seamlessly integrates the company ambition while also playing with the idea of addition and profit. Better yet? Its sleek, professional style speaks directly to the kind of demographic Lux want to attract.

Beyond Plastic

Beyond Platic’s logo is clean-cut and demonstrative of its function. The emphatic design shows a hand triumphantly grabbing a plastic bottle in the same way that they intend to seize their goals. It shows that Beyond Plastic is clear on its objectives and sends a powerful message.

Google

Google’s animated logo might just be one of the most recognizable of all time. As usual, its signature ‘G’ is front and center, making it immediately familiar. Crafting the animation to shapeshift into a microphone, a wavelength, and an ellipsis demonstrates each of Google’s many functions, emboldening the platform's versatility and far-reaching success.

Bang PR

Bang is a PR business known for specializing in savvy, exciting, and trendsetting clientele. When you first see its logo, you would immediately guess as much.

By exploding its name into a series of PR-related successes or snappy images, Bang PR uses a very clever tactic. In just a few motions, the company outlines its function, niche, and embodies the nature of its name. This makes this logo smart, memorable, and exciting to watch.

University of Arts, Helsinki

The logo produced for this Swedish school is loud, vivacious, and bursting with boundless energy. The movement and quick frames of the bold font establish a sense of creativity, untameable enthusiasm, and a talent for quick thinking.

Practically speaking, it embodies multiple perspectives, pushes boundaries, and feels loud - just like a memorable piece of art. It’s simple to understand why so many art students would opt for a university that represents all these principles, which means that the logo is doing its job.

WWF

Not only does this animated logo demonstrate the function of the WWF immediately, but it also evokes an emotional connection from the viewer. The gentle, subtle movements of the panda represent an animal that is beautiful, endangered, and loved by people all over the world.

Allvit

Another function of animated logos is to highlight an aspect of a brand's 2D logo that you may have missed if it were static. Allvit, a Norweigen online book search depository, does this expertly.

The logo invites consumers to watch a curious magnifying glass make the negative space in the brands ‘a' explicit. This simple movement tells the company's story and shines a light on a notable quirk in its 2D brand logo too.

Pixar

It's common knowledge that Pixar is a key player in the animation industry, and with a globally recognizable logo, it's evident that they're frontrunners in the marketing industry too

The logo's brilliance lies in its ability to convey Pixar's core essence in a single image. The iconic lamp, inspired by their first short film, "Luxo Jr.," signifies creativity and innovation. A symbol of storytelling excellence, the Luxo ball, playfully bouncing alongside the lamp, adds a touch of whimsy and fun, which resonates with audiences of all ages.

Over the years, Pixar's logo has become a strong brand asset, reinforcing the animation company's reputation and generating instant recognition. By consistently featuring this recognizable logo across its marketing materials, Pixar has successfully built a powerful and enduring visual brand identity that captivates loyal fans and new viewers.

Spotify

Spotify’s emblem is instantly recognizable. Its simple colored design represents an endless stream of frequency waves and evokes a sense of calmness. It’s timeless, confident, and minimalistic.

Billiards

Every time you watch this animated logo for Billards, we bet you’ll discover a new impressive detail. It’s exciting, full of suspense and by watching it, it almost feels like you’re in the throws of a billiards game yourself. Nailing such a dynamic logo requires an incredible amount of patience, skill, and creativity, so we take our hats off to its creator.

Gotticket

Some animated emblems just make you feel good, and this is one of those numbers. Gotticket is a service that helps travelers stay safe while they explore the globe. Their logo depicts a funny little face full of curiosity and free of worry, just those who travel with Gotticket.

Fedex

The values of Fedex, one of the world’s largest courier services, are precision, speed, service, and reliability and with as little as a quick glance at their accurate animated logo, that’s crystal clear.

The 2D Fedex emblem may look simple, however, if you look a little closer, you’ll notice a sneaky little arrow nestling between the ‘e’ and the ‘x’. Their animated logo puts this arrow to good use and showcases a few of the many modes of transport that they use to get your goods to you quickly and safely.

Giant Owl

‍Giant Owl is a London-based independent production company and their animated logos is one of our all-time favorites.

Not only do they feature their named mascot, an owl, front and center, but they incorporate their specialty, creating films, in an incredibly clever way. If you look closely, you’ll see the owl’s eyes begin to swirl and morph into rotating film reels. Pretty cool, right? This is something that we all would have missed had their emblem been static.

Mastercard

‍Naturally, Mastercard’s logo is cast in its recognizable orange and red. The quick-moving animation illustrates the company as a multifaceted tool to travel, eat, and experience new adventures. In this way, Mastercard uses its logo not only to showcase what it is capable of but also what it can bring to you.

Pinterest

A hub for crafty and creative souls, Pinterest's entire identity revolves around the idea of pinning pleasing pins to a digital board so naturally, its animated logo is rooted in the same narrative.

Pinterest's emblem features a paperclip alongside its signature ‘P' shaped pin. It's lively, cheerful, and speaks directly to the brand's crafty clientele.

Nike

As logos go, the Nike swoosh is probably one of the most well-known across the whole globe. Over the years, it has seen numerous makeovers; however, its original essence has always remained, and good thing, too, because quite frankly—it's genius.

The Nike swoosh stands for motion, speed, and a goal checked off your list. We like this edition of the logo because it tells a story of the brand's fluidity and ability to evolve with the times.

Netflix

Sometimes, a simple logo is the best way to advertise a complex and ambitious vision and Netflix’s household emblem is a prime example of that.

The original plan for the Netflix logo was to feature an array of thumbnails from the streaming platform’s original catalog, however, doing so proved too complicated. Instead, the company decided to opt for the clean-cut logo that we know and love today.

While the variety of colors shown is said to represent the depth of content available on the streaming platform, the impressive cinematic feel is meant to assert the company’s likeness to the biggest cinema houses in the business.

Disney

There isn't a toddler, child, or adult in the Western world who doesn't recognize the Walt Disney logo. It's beloved, instantly recognizable, and undeniably clever.

The logo's opening scene, with the iconic Cinderella Castle or Sleeping Beauty Castle, instantly transports viewers into a world of fantasy and nostalgia. The animation features Tinker Bell gracefully soaring over the castle, sprinkling pixie dust, further emphasizing the theme of dreams and imagination.

This enchanting sequence not only captures the essence of Disney's timeless stories but also serves as a powerful emotional trigger, evoking fond memories and a sense of wonder. From a marketing perspective, the animated logo is pivotal in establishing brand recognition and building anticipation for Disney's movies, TV shows, theme parks, and merchandise. Its ubiquitous presence before every Disney production reinforces the studio's identity and helps create a seamless connection across their diverse content offerings.

Inspired to design your own animated logo?

So, that concludes the list of our top 20 animated logos. We hope that you enjoyed browsing through our favorites and took some important notes so that you can take your company, and logo, to the next level.

Get started for free

Get started for free

Get creative and get started with Linearity Move, an intuitive animation software for designers and marketers of all levels. Move makes it easy to take your logo from concept to canvas and launch in just a few simple steps. The cost-effective iOs app's main features include:

• Auto-animate: A functionality that allows users to import a file from Linearity Curve or Figma and automatically generate animations with the press of a button.
• Animation presets: Pre-built animations and effects that can be easily applied to elements within any project.
• Storyboarding: Users can animate by looking at the objects and changing their properties without ever defining keyframe values in the timeline.
• Curve and Move Integration: Seamless integration between Curve and Move in Linearity Move allows users to work seamlessly between the two software components.

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