California Logos

Famous Logos From California

With year-round sunshine and well over 1,200 miles of coastline, it is no surprise that California is the most populous state in America. From the moment that first vein of gold was found in the California hills, enterprising Californians have been dreaming up new ways to make their fortune. 

It is no surprise that California has given us some of the most recognizable names in commerce and industry. California is home to Alphabet (Google), Apple, Tesla, Intel, Netflix, Wells Fargo, and a host of other noteworthy companies. With iconic brands like these, California knows a thing or two about memorable logos as well.  

McDonald's

McDonald’s golden “M” is one of the most widely recognized business logos in the world. 

These iconic golden arches originally got their start as a quirky architectural element designed to entice motorists off the highway and into the new McDonald’s fast-food hamburger stands popping up around the country. 

The golden arches were incorporated into the company logo by McDonald’s executive, Jim Schindler, who combined them to create a capital “M”. The original version, created in 1961, debuted the stylized “M” with an arrow bisecting the monogram at an upward angle. 

The arrow was eventually dropped from the design, and the “M” slowly took on a sharper, more modern appearance. The color scheme has remained consistent, with the beloved golden yellow “M” atop the bright red McDonald’s name.  

Apple

Founded in 1976, Apple, Inc. has become an undisputed leader of the computer industry. The brand’s familiar bitten apple icon has represented the company since its earliest days. In 1977, logo designer, Rob Janoff, was tasked with the job of giving the brand a modern, futuristic new image.

The result was the well-known apple silhouette with a singular bite taken out of the upper right side. The original logo was colored with seven horizontal rainbow stripes in crisp bright hues to represent the brand’s new color display technology.

This simple apple silhouette is synonymous with the brand itself and remains largely unchanged today, though it has appeared in an array of different colors and textures, coinciding with the launch of new products over the years. 

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo was launched in 1852, offering a secure way for west coast customers to transact with distant merchants and businesses. Though the company initially used trains and ships for transport, the Wells Fargo stagecoach has been a focal point of the brand’s identity since 1852 and is still used in some iterations today. 

The original artwork was a finely detailed, monochrome design depicting a team of six horses pulling a prairie wagon .set atop a thin black line to separate it from the Wells Fargo name printed in bold serif uppercase letters. A refresh in 2018, reimagined the stagecoach in the deep golden yellow that is still used today.