Vistaprint Study Ranks Most Memorable Logos and Looks at How We Interact With Them

Let's do a quick mental exercise. Close your eyes. OK, maybe don't close your eyes so you can keep reading. Keep your eyes open, but picture a few brand logos. They can be any company you know.

Got a few in mind?

Chances are, they're among the top ranking logos on this list compiled by Vistaprint as part of its Promotique promotional products wing.

Based on a poll of 2,000 Americans, here are the 30 most recognizable logos in the U.S.:

1. Apple
2. McDonalds
3. Coca-Cola
4. Nike
5. Starbucks
6. Google
7. Facebook
8. Adidas
9. Amazon
10. Youtube
11. Pepsi
12. Mercedes-Benz
13. Disney
14. Toyota
15. Ford
16. Twitter
17. instagram
18. Windows
19. Nissan
20. BMW
21. Playboy
22. Visa
23. FedEx
24. Burger King
25. Honda
26. Red Bull
27. Levi's
28. Lego
29. Marvel
30. Ferrari

The study went a bit deeper, exploring what about the logo made them so memorable, beyond just their ubiquity, and how logo popularity informs customer decisions.

"Our research shows just how much of an impact a business' logo has on its credibility," Llorenc Sola, general manager for Promotique by Vistaprint, told the New York Post. "Customers can recognize the leading brands with just a primary color or a certain shape of a logo, and consumers naturally trust these companies more. This means both new and more established businesses need to get their logos out in the market to make them more memorable."

This is where promotional products come into play.

The study asked participants which types of promotional items they liked to receive the most. Forty-nine percent said T-shirts, 36 percent said pens, 33 percent said keychains, 32 percent said mugs, 29 percent said USB sticks and 25 percent said tote bags.

Also, 51 percent of participants said that receiving a promotional product from a brand makes them more likely to buy something from them or use their service.

This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone in the promotional products industry, as they're acutely aware of the importance of promotional products when it comes to making a first (and lasting) impression. What makes this study interesting is the way it quantifies what logos we keep stashed away in our memory banks, the subconscious decisions we make about color and design, and how we want those brands to interact with us via promotional products.

And, for anyone thinking the logo comes secondary to the brand name or a product, three in 10 participants said the first thing they notice when they see a product is the logo, and then the name and color.

There's a good reason why Apple products are so minimal, save for that logo. Steve Jobs knew what he was doing. When we see the Nike Swoosh, we practically hear "Just do it" in our heads.

Good graphic design going hand-in-hand with a clever promotional products campaign can take a brand from startup to household name.