The impact and influence of Bauhaus design is undeniable. You might not always know it when you see it, but the movement’s legacy is all around us, immortalized by how designers have embraced minimalism, bold typography, geometry and primary colors. Bauhaus is found in popular furniture like the Barcelona chair, marketing posters, and, most commonly now, digital and web design where simplicity is a rule instead of the exception.
The Bauhaus school was founded in 1919 and shut down in 1933 as the Nazis took control of Germany. Celebrating Bauhaus’ 100th year, visual talent platform 99designs created a fun contest to reimagine what famous brand logos would look like if reimagined through the lens of the Bauhaus style.
There were over 1,500 entries submitted, and the results were outstanding with the likes of Adidas, AC/DC, Android, Lego, Walmart, Domino’s, Starbucks and others becoming homages to Bauhaus, featuring interesting interpretations of what they could look like in its style.
Burger King’s logo, for example, is a quirky throwback but actually still feels on brand for the QSR giant. Who knows? Perhaps BK’s CMO, Fernando Machado, could build an idea or two around the concept that leans heavily on the use of primary colors.
The visually compelling WhatsApp and Apple logos incorporate, as 99designs puts it, “an unbridled enthusiasm for geometry.” Indeed, the reimagined Apple design transports the brand back to its earlier days and, though this version of the Facebook-owned messaging platform might not exactly fit as an icon on an iPhone, it’s a fun interpretation.
The suite of logos that focus on minimalism is particularly interesting. One could see the new Google design as a Google Doodle, the reimagined Netflix logo as an alternate treatment and Paypal working well in an animated form. But it’s the NatGeo logo that may be the standout here, with the iconic yellow rectangle anchoring pleasing and playful typography.
See all of the logos entered in the competition at the 99designs site.
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