You can develop products in a matter of days, but brands are intangible assets that cannot be created overnight. To erect brands, you require ample of time, investment and customer satisfaction. That is the reason when graphic designers are working on a particular brand and its logo design, they must keep the customer perspective and preferneces in mind. Their designs should reflect the culture and values of the intended audience of the brand.

Every year, several famous brands scroll up and down because of an increase or decrease in their brand value. This year also, many famous brands in the category of Fast Foods, Luxury, Beverage and Retail have witnessed massive shifts.

Yesterday, I found this interesting inforgraphic on Just Creative Design, which displays the brand value of various famous brands, from 5 different industries, statistically. I thought like updating my blog readers with these interesting numbers, so here I present this statistical infographic, in my style, showing which industry holds the most valuable brands in the world.

In my last post on famous brands that don’t sell what they tell, I highlighted how many companies prefer naming their brands unrelated to what they actually sell. As I thought a little more on the subject, I wondered how brands would appear had they employed literal symbols to depict their logo design. For example, what would Burger King Logo look like with a Burger and a Royal Crown on top? Or how would the Starbucks Logo look like with a star and dollar symbol.

Being a graphic designer, brand identity development has always been my favorite subject. So in continuity to my previous post, I have created a game for my readers today. This game will test your brand recall and recognition skills and your ability to decipher literal representations of famous brands.

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There are several ways of naming a company. Some brands use the actual names of the product that they sell, while others use the name of the inventor. But lately, a unique style of naming brands is popular in the corporate market. The concept of using analogies and metaphors to name a brand is quite a trend these days.

Although this is a creative concept, sometimes I wonder why companies name themselves to what they don’t actually sell. For example, famous brands like Apple and Orange don’t really sell fruits, but are still named that way. Now I don’t mean to ridicule this creative concept, because being a graphic designer, I realize that there is a deep theory behind the making of every brand identity. But just to give it a thought, in what cases is this concept of naming really successful?

Last time, I did a post listing horribly funny mistakes made by Famous Brands, which you guys really enjoyed reading. So, this time, I thought of 15 famous brands with names not related to the product or service that they deal in. Remember, this all is just for fun

1. Apple

I would certainly like to see Steve Jobs selling Apples online.

2. Blackberry

You wouldn’t want to eat your blackberry after giving it a charge, would you?

3. Camel

The only way this would have been possible if this cigar brand was owned by a sheikh.

4. Canon

Shooting pictures is okay, but talk about shooting with a canon. It reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean.

5. Caterpillar

An industrial brand selling insects??? Who would buy a caterpillar anyway?

6. Diesel

Imagine you’re passing by and someone yells at you “Hey, you got Diesel on your shirt.”

7. Fox

Imagine this TV network selling foxes…they certainly don’t sell fox on TV these days.

8. Jaguar

I’m sure PETA would have sued them had they really been selling jaguars.

9. Kingfisher

Wait! Let me get this straight…do they sell beer or birds? I’m confused.

10. Lotus

The car doesn’t smell anything like a lotus…they would look better selling flowers with the name Lotus.

11. Mars

Sometimes I wonder…Is this chocolate bar really for Martians?

12. Orange

Imagine selling oranges over the phone…now that is something laughable.

13. Puma

If the Puma brand was actually selling pumas instead of apparel, it would’ve been illegal anyway.

14. Red bull

Neither do they sell a bull (of any color) nor do they own a cattle farm.

15. Shell

Hmmm I wonder…does Shell sell sea shells on the sea shore?

Who says graphic design isn’t fun? On the contrary, being a graphic and logo designer is quite a thrilling and entertaining profession in itself. Just last week, I managed to find some leisure time and decided on playing with famous corporate identities. The Idea came up when I thought of some major corporate mergers this year. I thought…why not visualize some other famous corporate mergers myself.

1. Audi + Disney = Audisney

2. 3M + McDonalds = 3McDonalds

3. BBC + CNN = BBCNN

4. Cadillac + Lacoste = Cadillacoste

5. CISCO + Colgate = CisColgate

6. FedEx + Exxon = FedExxon

7. Daihatsu + Subway = Daihatsubway

8. GAP + Apple = Gapple

9. L’oreal + Real Player = L’oreal Player

10. Google + Lego = Googlego

11. Mac + Accenture = Maccenture

12. Pepsi + Siemenes = Pepsiemens

13. Michelin + Intel = Michelintel

14. Nintendo + Dockers = Nintendockers

15. Nissan + Sayno = Nissanyo

16. Oracle + Levi’s = Oraclevis

17. Rolex + XBOX = RolexBOX

18. Shell + Shleter = Shelter

19. Twitter + Terminator = Twitterminator

20. Visa + SAP = VISAP

Graphic Design Blog + Blogger = Graphic Design Blogger

Although brands are meant to be renowned and famous but there are some drawbacks to fame. When you are on top of the ladder, you are the center of attraction. Therefore, each and every step of famous brands is under immense scrutiny. Especially, if they make any mistake, it is graciously exposed and hyped by people and media. So when you’re a famous brand, it’s hard to get away with errors. The recent rebranding mistake made by GAP is a perfect example.

Lately, I came across few horrible mistakes committed by famous brands in their marketing and advertising campaigns. Call them grammatical mistakes or simple blunders, these promotion errors are horribly funny and hilarious to read. If you remember, once I collected weird Photoshop mistakes for you guys and you all thoroughly enjoyed looking at those bloopers.

So, this time I bring you 12 of the funniest mistakes made by famous brands in their marketing and advertising campaigns:

Superman Costume

On an American Airlines packet of nuts: INSTRUCTIONS – OPEN PACKET, EAT NUTS. Really??? I would have never guessed it!!! :-p

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)

The KFC slogan ‘finger-lickin’ good’ on a Chinese campaign became “eat your fingers off”. My condolence to the people of China!!

Fritos

On a packet of Fritos crisps – YOU COULD BE A WINNER! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. DETAILS INSIDE. Ok, let me get my X-Ray Vision glasses and see inside!

Marks and Spencer

Label on a Marks & Spencer’s Bread Pudding – PRODUCT WILL BE HOT AFTER HEATING. I don’t believe it…Let me try!

Pepsi

Pepsi’s marketing campaign slogan in Taiwan translated “Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation” to “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead.” Thank God I drink Coke! :-p

Sainsbury

On a Sainsbury peanut packet – WARNING: CONTAINS NUTS. What only NUTS?? I want the PEAS too!!

Sears

On a Sears hairdryer – DO NOT USE WHILE SLEEPING. Lucky I didn’t doze off while drying my hair this morning!

Rowenta Iron

Do not iron clothes on body – on packaging for a Rowenta iron. I thought it was easier that way!

Tesco

Written on bottom of Tesco’s Tiramisu dessert box – DO NOT TURN UPSIDE DOWN. Too late…you lose:-D

Coors

Coors the American brewer’s slogan “Turn It Loose” came out in Spanish as “Get Diarrhea”. In that case, I think I’ll pass!!

Superman Costume

Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly – on a child’s Superman costume. Way to crush a childhood fantasy guys!

Japanese Food Processor

Not to be used for any other purpose – on a Japanese Food Processor. Hmmm… now I’m curious