A distinctive logo is worth its weight in gold, and many companies are known all over the world for theirs. But can you recognize these famous American companies' logos when they're close up? Read on to see.

The founder and owner of this company is on track to be the world’s first trillionaire by 2026…

The world's biggest online retailer, Amazon's logo’s yellow tick resembles a smile, which emphasizes the company’s focus on customer satisfaction, while linking the letter A to Z symbolizes that Amazon sells pretty much everything.

 

While the Word featuring in this company’s logo is missing from this close-up, you might still Excel in guessing what it is…

Microsoft’s logo has changed with the times, from a spiraling disco pattern in the 1970s, when the company was founded, to a more corporate design in the early 1980s that was nicknamed “blibbet”. Today’s logo came about in 2012, with each of the four squares representing a color used in the company’s branding that form a window when put together.

If you like your food by the bucketful, chances are you’re quite familiar with this company…

The most recognizable face in the fast food world, Colonel Sanders has been on the KFC logo since he brought his special blend of 11 herbs and spices to the people of Kentucky in 1952. The portrait’s colors have changed over the years – initially monochrome, the logo turned blue and white in 1991 and was finalized as red and white in 1997.

This company is owned by the richest family in the world, the Waltons.

Walmart's logo started out with simple lettering when it launched in 1962 with the font chosen by the printer. In fact, many don't consider this first attempt at branding as a true logo. The company switched to a frontier-style logo in 1964 that lasted for 20 years. After a number of tweaks over the years, the current logo with lower-case lettering, rather than all capitals as it had been before, was born in 2008. The yellow 'sparklets' are supposed to represent co-founder Sam Walton’s spark of inspiration to open his first store, and each one stands for one of Walmart’s six key values: customer, respect, integrity, associates, service and excellence.

This company has given a whole new meaning to the word “chill”...

Netflix is the world’s largest streaming service and has even become a cultural reference too. The use of red letters with either a black or white background is designed to give the Netflix logo a cinematic feel, as is the arc that shapes the bottom of the wording.

This company is looking to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy...

In 2017 Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to explain the meaning behind the logos of his various ventures, and the Tesla “T” is supposed to resemble a cross-section of an electric motor.

From 24/7 shifts to playing a starring role in the 2000 Tom Hanks film Castaway, this company really does go the extra mile...

If you look closely at the FedEx logo you’ll see a white arrow in the middle of “Ex” – this is supposed to hint at the company’s speedy delivery service. The combination of purple and orange is said to stand for prosperity and prestige.

Founded in 2004, this company started out as a Harvard campus-based app for comparing pictures of fellow students and rating who was more attractive…

Facebook is now the world’s largest social media platform. Luckily the original “hot or not” format of Facemash fell away pretty quickly and TheFacebook, which would later become just Facebook, was born. The logo hasn’t really changed since the site was founded, and Facebook’s main color has always been blue because founder Mark Zuckerberg has red-green color blindness.

After innovating for over 125 years, this company logo has likely made its way into your home at some point…

From smart washing machines to hi-tech ice makers, General Electric specializes in improving home appliances to make them more user-friendly and efficient. The swirling font that makes up General Electric’s logo is supposed to resemble a stove burner, which was one of the company’s first products.

This company has been around since 1958, and chances are you’ve tapped or swiped your way through plenty of its products…

There are 3.3 billion Visa cards worldwide, and they can be found in more than 200 countries. The blue and yellow always found on Visa products represent the blue skies and golden hills of California, which is where the founder of the company, Bank of America, is headquartered.

This company is the cream of the crop when it comes to ice-cool packaging and jazzy names, so you probably won’t need to phish around for too long to crack this logo…

Ben & Jerry’s has been delighting ice cream lovers with quirky flavors since 1978. The brand’s current look came about in 1998 and can be found across all the company’s products, from the classic Cookie Dough to its vegan and Greek yogurt ranges.

This company is currently supplying the world with COVID-19 vaccines...

Founded in 1849, Pfizer is the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world in terms of revenue. Blue is the most popular logo color there is, and Pfizer have used it in its pill-shaped company branding. 

Originally called “Brad’s Drink” in 1893, this company’s products will likely put a pep in your step…

The name “Pepsi” hails back to the drink’s origins, as “dyspepsia” was another word for indigestion, the ailment that the drink was initially designed to cure. In the 1950s, the red, white and blue color scheme was first introduced during the wave of US national pride following World War II. The circular shape comes from an earlier logo that was bottle cap-shaped.

Slogans are designed to stick in your mind, and a parodied version of this particular company’s wording even made its way into the 1997 Batman & Robin film…

As Batman takes his credit card in the film, he says that he “never leaves the cave without it”, which is a take on American Express's “Don’t leave home without it” slogan. The first American Express logo was a pit bull terrier with “AM.EX.CO” printed on its coat, symbolizing that the credit card company was watching over customers’ money. American Express last updated its logo in 2018, swapping the gradient effect for a solid blue across the square. 

Now read about the surprising former jobs of world leaders past and present