The Hidden Meanings Behind Apple, Domino's, and Hyundai Logos
Ever wondered why Apple has a bite or why Domino's has three dots? A deep dive into the surprising, hidden stories and real meanings behind famous corporate logos.
What is the real story behind famous corporate logos? Elad Margi and Yoav Avrahami tackle everyday objects and designs that we see all the time, focusing this time on the hidden meanings behind some of the world's most recognizable logos.
The Apple Bite
According to Rob Janoff, who worked at the Regis McKenna advertising agency responsible for designing Apple's logo, the bite was intended to solve a simple problem: making sure people didn't mistake it for a cherry. In interviews with Frieze and Creative Bits, he explained that he designed the logo at age 28, and the bite was meant to provide scale so it wouldn't be confused with a tomato or a cherry.
An urban legend that circulated for years claimed the bite was a clever play on words between 'bite' and 'byte,' the fundamental unit of computer storage. However, Janoff stated that his manager was the first to point out the coincidence only after the design was finalized, calling it a happy accident.
The Dots on the Domino's Domino
The reason the international pizza chain features a domino with three dots has nothing to do with complex mathematical sequences. The explanation is almost ridiculously simple: Tom Monaghan and his brother James bought DomiNick's, a small pizzeria in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 1960. By 1965, Tom acquired two more locations, totaling three stores. When the original owner forbade him from using the name DomiNick's, the business was rebranded as Domino's, and the domino logo received three dots.
In 2003, Monaghan explained to CNN that the three dots represented the three original stores, with the intention of adding a dot for every new branch that opened. However, the plan was quickly abandoned as the chain expanded at a staggering pace.
What's Happening in the Hyundai Ellipse?
The logo of the Korean automotive giant ostensibly looks like the letter H inside an oval. Yet its distorted shape often leaves observers wondering what else is going on, aside from an attempt to differentiate Hyundai's H from Honda's.
Hyundai itself insists there is a meaningful reason for the slanted shape: it depicts the silhouettes of a company representative and a satisfied customer shaking hands. The name Hyundai translates from Korean as 'modern,' and the iconic H-in-ellipse logo was introduced in 1990.
