The new iphone and android app allows users to drive a simulator game of the fusion car on their tablet or phone. In order to access up to 23 racing tracks.

The clever part is Ford fans will need to ‘unlock’ the app by taking a photo of the ford logo on their car or on the computer, thus promoting the brand and logo and also adding exclusivity around the brand.

Ford it seems has gone all out to try and win some ground from the increasing popularity and success of the Camry Hybrid.

The app was produced by a cutting edge team of gaming developers and has since been applied to over 10 cars.

The App aims to draw a large audience of fans using facebook and twitter sharing inbuilt into the apps to virally attract more users, ford fans and potential customers.

All in all a nice campaign by Ford who has more often than not been trumped by the forward thinking Toyota Company.

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This early the logo design industry is now showing logo design trends for 2012.

Having a good logo entails a lot of effort and involvement from key people which include the marketing, graphics and design team. While the creativity of the logo designer greatly matters, it does not ensure the success of the logo. The logo should always reflect the concept and values of the brand at the same time appeal to the target group. And while it is a given rule that logos should be timeless, logo designers can still benefit from the latest trends in logo design where they can get new ideas and inspiration.

What is hot or in demand two years ago in logo design may no longer be attractive today. The blue color which proved to be effective in software logos may not have the same appeal in the coming year. Thus, it is important for logo designers to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in logo design. Remember that a successful logo design could definitely translate to more product sales and could improve the standing of a brand in the industry where it belongs.
In 2011, some of the logo designs that hogged the spotlight are futuristic 3D designs, isometric shapes and line art. Because 2011 witnessed more powerful gadgets from Apple, Inc., the equally powerful logo proved to be an inspiration to some businesses enticing them to use fruit design in their logos.
Some companies have also embraced the ecological trend and have gone environment-friendly so they used the color green in their logos or added some plant designs.

Let’s take a look at the logo design trends for 2012.

1. Go Green or Plant design

The plant or flora design will continue to make waves in 2012 just like in the past years. Companies who use plant inspired logo design project an environment-friendly image. Such logos have images depicting nature like leaves, flowers, soil and even animals which could also represent growth and expansion. One good example is Blue Oak Construction. http://blueoakprojects.com

2. Badge and button design

Badges are synonymous with quality service or authority. Most popular badges are those used in the military. They also indicate the status and identification of a person. Badge combined with button designs are now also being used in advertising, promotions and brand awareness. The badge and button design greatly appeals to consumers because while it may appear as regal, it still seems real and touchable to them. Lamborghini’s logo remains one of the famous logos with a badge design. Blogger’s logo, on the other hand, is a good example of a button like logo. http://www.blogger.com

3. Speech Balloons

Speech or thought balloons are no longer confined in comic books, comic strips and cartoons where they are used to show the dialogue or thoughts of a given character. Speech balloon and thought balloon may look differently because while the former means words that are spoken aloud, the latter refers to just thoughts.

New companies in particular are hooked to creating logos using this design. This logo design is not just simple and timeless. This design looks hip and appealing especially to the younger generation. Notice that most companies or businesses online use this logo design. Among these are Google Talk, Technorati, imeem, and Bubble Share. Another good example of a logo bearing this design is Job Thread logo. http://www.jobthread.com

4. Quadrilateral

A quadrilateral is defined as a polygon with four sides and four corners. Sometimes the term used is quadrangle. In logo design, quadrangle is neither a square nor a rectangle but a fun shape. It’s a design that elicits attention. The Groupon logo (http://www.groupon.com) is one perfect example.

5. Type font

This could be the simplest but this does not mean it is not difficult to design. Logo designers face various challenges on how to create type font logos that are remarkable. This logo design best promotes the company name or the brand name. Best examples are Google and Facebook. There are numerous advantages when using this design. For one, logo design can be reproduced in other colors or in black and white. This design is also easy to recognize. For traditional reproduction, very little technical knowledge is needed for this.

There will always be new trends for logo designs. Logo designers can draw inspiration from these designs. But at the end of the day, it is still the designer’s imagination, talent and creativity that could give life to a logo design and make it memorable and successful.

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What good will your new logo design be if you keep it under lock and key? Whether your logo is fantastic or not is a debatable issue and is simply beside the point. The whole point is to put out your logo the soonest that you can, to make it as visible to the public as possible, and expose it as frequently as you can. Why?

First of all, repetitive exposure aids in recognition and recall. Two key words are essential here: repetition and exposure. The more frequently your audience sees your business logo, the more ingrained the image will be in people’s memory. The repetitive exposure, whether people actively pay attention to the logo or not, engraves the image deep into their subconscious. The same phenomenon is at work with that stranger you frequently bump into (but not talk to). The next time you seem her or him somewhere else, you should be able to recognize the person. You would even probably say hi or make small talk.

With your company logo, the goal you’re after is instant recognition. That is, people will instantly recognize and remember your company whenever they see your company logo.

So, paste your logo all over town and wherever you can. Make sure it appears on television. Let it be seen by motorists and pedestrians on your company-sponsored billboards and giant signage. Print it on your giveaway items. Print it on customized shirts or on company uniform. Your budget’s your limit. On second thought, there are millions of creative ways in which you can expose your logo without spending much.

Don’t forget your office stationery, too. Make sure your business logo is on every business card, letterhead, invoice, job order, etc. that you use for transactions. This way, you are not only providing an air of officiality to those transactions but also exhibiting your company symbol.

Creating a fantastic logo design for your business is just a part of the bigger story. It’s an important part. Another important part is the maximum exposure of your logo to your public. These two are very crucial to establishing your business identity, creating good will among your target audience, and promoting your company name or brand.

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The colors, the shapes, and typefaces used in the logo design should reflect what the business is all about. That is why when choosing a font type, one must not decide too hastily. In making a business logo, so many things should be taken into consideration—even the smallest of details, and that includes the selection of the font type.

One of the important parts of a logo is the text. While not all corporate symbols have text, almost all corporate emblems bear some form of text, or a few alphabetic characters. The message will be clearly conveyed and understood if the content that comes along with the logo is readable. The size, style, and color of the font are valuable to the logo’s success.

The style of the font will reflect the business’ professionalism and serious outlook with regards to rendering service to target consumers. You do not expect a health care company to use comical or fancy fonts in its logo. Doing so will result in the company’s being perceived as frivolous and not all too serious about providing quality health care service.

This latter situation will result in a confusion on the part of the consumer. There won’t be any consistency between the service or product that the company is trying to sell and the font that your company is using. There should be uniformity when it comes to the main idea or the theme of the logo. Inconsistency sends mixed signals to the consumer, thus giving a notion that your business lacks organization and systematicity.

The style of the font also has an effect on the viewer. Round fonts usually create a relaxing and calming effect on the reader; as a result, the content and the entire logo will be easily remembered by viewers. On the other hand, fonts that have sharp, pointy edges produce a serious tone, which is quite suitable for companies who mean serious business when it comes to service.

The font should be clear and understandable. There are fonts where in the letters are reversed to make the logo more attractive. But, this design does not always produce positive results. If the text is lengthy, reading the letters in reverse can be exhausting to the reader. As a rule of thumb, choose a typeface that is clear and easy to read.

The size and color of the font also matter. The bigger the size of the font, the more it is greatly emphasized and readable. But make sure that the size does not overwhelm the sight. The color should be attractive to the eyes. This will be helpful in making your business logo recognizable to the public.

The font face of your company logo is as important as the overall design. Make sure that you spend enough time to choose the most effective and the most appropriate one for you company’s logo design.

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One way to achieve that is to make sure that the colors of the shirt and the colors of the logo design should blend well. The color of the shirt may overshadow the colors of the logo, thus making the image unrecognizable. It is best to use light-colored shirts so that the colors of the t-shirt design can stand out.

Another way to make effective t-shirt ads is by using the same, or at least similar, fonts and colors of both the logo and brand. This will not just make your shirt design consistent and coherent but also make your company shirts, as well as your logo, memorable.

Be careful with the shirt design. The over all appearance of the shirt will also reflect the over all image of the business. The placement of graphic elements, as well as the choice of color and shirt style, will bear on the company image. The placement and size of the logo are very important. The logo should be placed where people can see it easily. It is best to put the logo at the center or in front because that position can easily catch attention. The size should be large enough for the logo to be seen and understood.

In contrast, if your company shirt’s design is disorganized, the viewer will instantly associate it with your company. And, that’s not exactly a healthy thing to happen. Worse, a disorganized company is often perceived as an incompetent and unprofessional company. So, exercise great care when using your business logo on company shirts.

Yet another way to effectively use your company shirt to promote your business is to string all the shirt elements together in a coherent theme or motif. The theme must be one that can accommodate your company logo, or at least one that will make the latter stand out and be emphasized. Giving out freebie shirts at corporate-sponsored events can be a great opportunity to experiment with different themes and motifs.

Many companies today use shirt designs to further promote company and brand recognition. Because shirts can be worn and brought anywhere, you can just imagine the long mileage and the amount of exposure that your company can get if you emblazon each shirt with your company’s logo design.

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There might be colors that associate with the origin and history of your company. For example, some companies owned by Spanish people usually have red on their logo design. It symbolizes their nationality and patriotism. You could also use colors that represent your advocacy. For instance, companies that emphasize environmental advocacy often use green dominantly.

You could also develop your logo out of the basic shapes. But, of course, it still has to be significant to your company. Arrows could symbolize the direction which the company probably gives its clients. Religious organizations use the cross shape that symbolizes their Christian faith. Triangles could be used by mountaineering companies to symbolize mountains or by housing organizations to represent the houses that they provide their clients.

Other elements which you can play with to get ideas for your logo are icons. You could have a bread for bakeshops, books for a bookshop, dress for a tailoring parlor, or mirror for a salon. You could also use a logo that may not obviously tell what you are as a company but still has relevance.

There are also places where you can hunt for ideas for your logo. In the library, for example, there are books that feature logos that made history. The same information can also be accessed easily on the Internet. Together with the logo gallery perhaps is an explanation as to how this or that logo became an icon in the graphics design industry. Study the elements that made it effective. But never ever imitate any of them. A logo should be original. If you do copy it, you are telling people that your company is as good as a second rate copycat. You would not want to do that.

Logos should equate with your company. So, as a final suggestion, you can try to find ideas and inspiration for your company emblem from the very people working for your company. Your employees, from top to bottom, are the ones who know the company more. They would know how the company can best be represented and rolled into one unique, powerful, and effective logo design.

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A very attractive business card can actually be effective in promoting your business by adding your company logo design. The logo is the representation of what your business is all about, so it is best to let people know it through your business card.

The design and total appearance of your business card may say different things about your business. But, sometimes business cards are so common that they are taken for granted and not given much importance, not even a slight glance. If you wish to make your business stand out, you can try some of the following suggestions.

Size or shape. It is best to have a unique shape of business card that is aligned with the name of your brand and logo. It can come in rectangles, triangles, and so on. Ordinary rectangles are really quite common these days.

Content. The content of your business card should always include contact numbers and addresses. Providing such information will present a sense of professionalism and availability towards your target clients. You can also add a motivational quote or your company’s vision statement, or perhaps a corporate motto or tag line. Just make sure it does not take up all the space on the card. For example, if you are in the food industry, you can put your best recipes or show a picture of your best products at the back of the business card.

Material. The material of a business card is usually made of cardboard or cardstock. But, you can try other materials, too. You can actually make a business card from leather or plastic material. That ought to make your card unique.

Design, color and text. These really matter in making your own business card. The color and font of the text should be the same, or at least in harmony, with the company’s brand name. The design should also be a little bit similar to your logo, so that there will be coherence and a connection among the business card itself, the logo, the brand name, and your company.

In making a business card, make sure that the content does not overcrowd. Provide proper spacing so that it will not look messy and confusing. The appearance of your business card will signify your professionalism and commitment to the services and products that you provide. If your business card looks hastily designed, then your logo design will just go unnoticed along with your brand name.

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The logo design is the company’s identity and represents the company’s services and products to the audience. It is a very important aspect of any business, big or small, for it will be the eye catcher for your home business to be noticed. This will represent you in every transaction you make. It is also like a signature. Once you put your business logo on an item, that means you are responsible for the quality of the item that your business promises to people.

In using your logo for your home business, it should be connected to the services, products, or the industry where you home business is in. It should be clear and stimulating. The color should be attractive and the design should also be unique.

It is definitely not good to copy your logo from or base it on another competing business. This may negatively impact the overall perception of people towards your business. They might think that you are not innovative and professional enough. Your brand name must also coincide with the design of your home business logo. This will make your branding have a sense of uniformity and consistency from the point of view of the consumer.

Even if you are engaged in home business or small-scale business, it is important not to disregard your logo, for it can be useful in your marketing and professional identity promotion. A well-placed logo on letterhead stationery, business cards, corporate giveaways, and office supplies is indispensable to your efforts for your home business to be recognized. It is advisable to put your logo in every transaction you make. So, in every business-related move you make, always put the logo design ahead as the representation of your home business.

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Simple stationery and its letterhead design can speak volumes regarding your company. If your stationery is just a simple sheet of bond paper with a black and white letterhead and logo design that do not provide any sense of artistry, this can result in a negative impression about your business, though not in all cases.

In your letterhead, there should vibrant colors and stylish fonts that will attract people to look first at the topmost page before reading the content. With an attractive letterhead, a well-placed logo found in the letterhead is advantageous in order to establish the identity of your company.

It is necessary to put a logo on the letterhead to represent a sense of formality. But, if the letterhead does not catch much attention, then putting your logo on it will just be useless. Make your letterhead exciting and attractive. There are several creative ways to do it.

It would be an advantage to put graphics in your letterhead. The illustration should be depending on the industry your business is at. For example if your business is on servicing quality food products then an image of a particular food should be used. People are most likely to give attention when they are stimulated visually.

Contact information is necessary to show professionalism and formality. It is a practical thing to do, as well. Put the email address, company address, and contact numbers of your company because these will feed people a sense of availability from your company towards its target audience.

Font size, type, and color are also very important. It is best that the color of the font should be the same as the colors used for the logo and company brand. There should be coherence, even with the choice of font type. It should be the same as the font used for your brand name. Though, it would also be appropriate to just go for formal font types, such as Times New Roman, to showcase elegance and professionalism. The font size should be readable so that the letterhead will be easily acknowledged.

If your audience senses the professionalism all over your stationery, they will feel that your company is committed to the industry where your business belongs. The logo design will only be noticed if the letterhead is attractive and pleasing to the eyes. So, make sure you pay attention to even the small details when designing your letterhead stationery.

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Printing your corporate logo design into the corporate gift is a best way of advertising and making your company known through your logo. It is sure that any business brand will be easily recognized through displays of corporate gifts given away by your company. That is why a well-placed logo in a giveaway is very much important.

Think of a corporate giveaway that is useful to people. Pens, pen holders, and other office supplies are very useful to office employees. Seeing the logo every time they hold a pen is a simple way of promoting your company. Customize your corporate gifts by choosing a theme that you will follow so that there is uniformity and consistency in your giveaways. Gifts that come in sets are also good choices for corporate gift-giving. For example, gift baskets are very advantageous, for one basket can contain several items in one giveaway.

Use simple gift-giving to your advantage. Giving items with your logo imprinted on the items is a way of promoting your brand. The good thing is that the people receiving the gifts will feel happy without knowing that they have been a part of your promotional strategy. The logo will represent your company and the services your company provides. The success of your company will be reflected in a well-recognized logo. So, grab every opportunity to show off your logo as much as possible. Corporate giveaways may be one way of promoting your logo without being obvious.

You must make a good impression to your target clients so that your company and the services and products your company provides will be etched into the minds of the consumers. If your logo has become easily recognizable, then most likely the marketing efforts of the company have proven effective in its planned strategies. Simple and subtle techniques such as corporate giveaways can be very effective in promoting your company with the use of your corporate logo design.

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