The Use of National Symbols in Logo Design

The United States’ flag is a major symbol not only of the American nation but of the American values – freedom and independence as well. US has probably one of the richest on symbols flags among all the countries in the world. Today it contains 50 stars and 13 stripes. Originally it had 13 stars that represented each American colony. However, the 50 stars today represent the number of states in America.

ted-cruz-presidential-campaign
ted-cruz-presidential-campaign

The colors of the flag are symbolic too. The red stands for hardiness and valor, the white stands for purity and blue symbolizes the justice and freedom. The colors, the stars and stripes are combination that is too good to be divided on separate pieces. This is why the colors of American flag are often used as a base for logos.

However, combining the recognizable symbols of the American flag could be a dangerous game and may turn your logo into your brand’s biggest nightmare. In case you haven’t read the news recently, we are talking about the Ted Cruz campaign’s logo. Ted Cruz is Texas Senator and currently he is running his 2016 presidential campaign. But his logo left puzzled the graphic designers around the world.

What his logo looks like?

The logo represent the red and blue colors from the US flag and a star, shaped in the blue. But the whole composition looks like flame. And because of the position of the stars, it leaves the impression that there is a turned upside-down American flag that is burning. There are positive reaction as well, but combining national symbols in controversial composition is not the best idea for someone who is running for president.

If you want to use national symbols in your logo, it is probably best if you trust professional logo designers to do the task, because you might end up with a logo that is not much legal and may lead to negative reviews.