Why use brown for your logo?

Brown may not be the first color that comes to mind when you think of your logo. However, it is a color with a lot of potential and varies in meaning. In addition, there are only a few companies or sports teams that use brown in their logo. Maybe it’s a way to stand out!

But what exactly does brown represent? According to our page on the meaning of colors, brown is a color that is strongly associated with nature and certain foods. Several natural elements are brown: earth, leather, wood, etc. Therefore, brown often represents stability and strength. And let’s not forget that brown is also the color of chocolate and coffee. Many companies in these fields use this shade for their logo. Also, many animals have a brown coat (cat, bear, kangaroo). Finally, brown can give a high-end or timeless touch when needed.

Some tips on using brown when creating your logo

But how to use brown when creating your logo? For starters, brown is a warm-dominated tertiary color. If your logo has a bright color as its main color, consider adding a touch of brown to balance it all out. On the contrary, if your logo mainly uses brown, it might be worth using a more vibrant color to attract attention.

It should also be noted that brown harmonizes well with other warm colors such as red or yellow. There are many different shades of brown (mahogany, sepia, terracotta) that you can use to create your logo. If necessary, you can very well use white or black depending on the desired effect. Despite what some might think, brown is not a bland or boring color!

The best brown logos in our opinion

There are a few companies that have chosen brown for their logo. Let’s see which ones we find the most successful.

A&W

A&W is a restaurant chain in North America best known for their root beer. Despite what you might think, A&W has not always used the combination of brown and orange for their logo. In the past, the company mainly went for a red and black combination for their brand image. Brown made a comeback in the 2000s, probably to highlight the importance of the root beer offered in restaurants. Also, few restaurants use brown for their logo, so it was a way to stand out from the competition.

Hershey’s

Hershey’s is an American chocolate company and has been around since1894. Brown, easily associated with chocolate, has always been part of the company’s brand image, even today. The Hershey’s logo is relatively simple: it is a signature logo, a type of logo consisting only of the company’s name. The background is brown, while the letters are gray and a sans-serif font. It is certainly a color combination hardly used in the world of corporate logos.

When you think of a company that uses brown as the main color for their brand, UPS may come to mind. UPS or United Parcel Service is an American delivery company. Brown is used on their logo, trucks and employee uniforms. The company has always used this color and a badge logo, although initially their symbol was an eagle. As we said above, brown is a color often associated with stability, but also reliability, which is an important feature for delivery companies.

Cleveland Browns

There are very few sports teams that use brown for their logo. It is important to mention  that several sports teams have used brown in the past. A sports team that currently uses brown is the Cleveland Browns. They use three colors for their uniform and helmet: white, orange and a very dark brown. Since their name simply means their color, it is unlikely that they would make any significant changes to their brand image.

In conclusion, why not use brown when creating your logo? It is not often used and can most certainly show that you are reliable. And since there are many different shades of brown, you will undoubtedly find one that will meet your needs and that will go well with the other colors of your brand. By the way, did you know that the first Starbucks logo was brown and not green?

Do you want to know the meaning of other colors? Check out our tips for creating an orange logo.