Although many people find gray boring and neutral, it is actually one of the most stylish and elegant colors. It’s just that gray doesn’t shout about itself and not everyone evokes its associations. But first and foremost, Gray is about stability. And, accordingly, logos of gray color most often choose large companies with strong authority and perfect reputations, brands that are confident in themselves and the quality of their products.
The gray color symbolizes reliability, calmness, safety, modesty, common sense, and intelligence. It combines the opposite qualities of black and white and balances them perfectly. Gray is also about elegance and timelessness. It blends perfectly with many other colors and never gets boring. And that’s why gray can be found in many logos as a background or small accents.
Metallic gray is associated with notions of progress, speed, and professionalism. That is why almost all car manufacturers and innovative brands base their emblems on this color.
Today we want to talk about the companies that have chosen gray as the main color for their logos. And, as you can see from the list below, there are a lot of market leaders and world-famous brands among such companies. After all, Gray is the color of confidence, stability, and excellence. And now you will see it yourself. Let’s get started.
Abercrombie and Fitch
The iconic Abercrombie and Fitch moose, a centerpiece of the brand’s logo, looks very mysterious and at the same confident in a medium-dark shade of gray. Surrounded by a barely visible shadow and accompanied by a classy title case lettering in a serif font, the emblem of the fashion company represents precision and excellence.
Afeela
The Afeela visual identity is just a wordmark. But this uppercase geometric sans-serif inscription looks absolutely perfect, as it is very well balanced in terms of shapes, sizes, and spaces. And the solid gray color of the characters only elevates this impression, topping up the overall aesthetic of the badge.
Ampere
The solid gray lettering in a progressive designer typeface with a very strong mood is accompanied by a bright red lighting bolt element, set in between the two parts of the wordmark. This combination looks very strong and eye-catching, plus it represents the confidence and professionalism of the brand.
ASPCA
Another interesting color combination based on gray can be found in the logo of ASPCA. The light shade of gray, used for the four capitals, is diluted by a smooth orange “P” in the center. And this orange accent is the main eye-catcher of the composition, which stands for energy and progressiveness.
AWZ
The light shade of gray, used for the background of the circular AWZ medallion looks fresh and smooth. The emblem features an elegant framing made of thin black lines, and a delicate stylized element in the very center of the composition, drawn in even thinner black lines.
Baojun
The stylized diamond, made of two fragments, on the Baojun emblem, is designed in a three-dimensional style with silver-gray glossy gradients, and accompanied by a solid lettering in a dark shade of gray, surrounded by a wide transparent shadow also in gray. The combination of glossy gradients and flat strokes creates a very interesting and elegant image.
Bertone
The gray on the Bertone Logo is also present in glossy silver gradients, which make the sharp geometric elements of the badge look elegant and sleek. The stylized lowercase B emblem, executed in medium-thick lines, is stabilized by a massive extra-bold lettering, and both elements are set in the same color scheme.
Beta Technologies
In the Bets Technologies logo, we can see another interesting color combination, based on gray. Here the bright and lively light-turquoise lighting bolt is inscribed into a massive dark-gray “B”, the first characters in the upper level of the composition. The heavy and brutal wordmark is accompanied by a lightweight yet still strong “Flight Recharged” tagline in the same shade of gray.
Büssing
Even though the idea behind the Büssing logo is quite traditional, the badge looks very sharp and cool, due to the distinctive geometry and the use of smooth silver-gray shades for both the emblem and the three-dimensional lettering, written at the bottom of the improvised crest with a thick arrow-like underline.
Canik
The futuristic geometric typeface of the solid gray Canik wordmark is softened by a wide semi-transparent light gray haze, which softens the masculinity and brutality of the straight bar cuts and adds some mystery and elegance to the laconic badge. The composition is polished by a small lightweight tagline, bringing in balance and friendliness.
Curious Pictures
We definitely like the minimalistic yet super interesting logo of Curious Pictures, which has a light shade of gray as its main color. The logo is composed of medium-bold lowercase lettering in a softened serif font, with the “P” painted in scarlet red and stylized as a question mark. This bright accent dilutes the haziness of the inscription, showing the creativity and the unique approach of the company.
Dadi
The logo of the Dadi brand is set in one smooth shade of gray and features two elements: a circular emblem and a simple uppercase wordmark in a traditional sans-serif typeface. The emblem looks like a wheel, or a laconic interpretation of the iconic Da Vinci Vitruvian Man with his arms and legs apart. Whatever the initial idea was, the logo turned out to be simple yet well-balanced and confident. And gray is the reason.
Daewoo
The tender and simple emblem of the Daewoo brand for most of its history has also been colored in gray but with a silvery touch. The light glossy shades worked great on the elegant and soft contours of the abstract badge, and the contrast between the smooth framing and the more matte surface of the emblem added dynamics and brightness.
Daimler
The classy Daimler logo, which is based solely on the lettering, looks extremely chic and exquisite. The elegant serif inscription in the uppercase is written in a three-dimensional style with the shiny silver characters placed against a plain white background and accompanied by thin black contours and wide light-gray shadows.
DIM Motor
The DIM Motor brand prefers laconic plain shades without any gradients. The bold uppercase lettering in a geometric sans-serif typeface is written in white over a horizontally stretched rectangular banner in dark gray, which overlaps the circular frame, also in gray. The main eye-catcher of the composition is the stylized geometric wing, which comes out to the left from the top part of the “D”s vertical bar.
Discovery
The solid-gray Discovery wordmark, written in the title case of the modern geometric sans-serif typeface, is set on a plain white background and accompanied by a modest graphical element, the globe, drawn in flat blue and gray colors and placed in the left part of the composition, overlapping the vertical bar of the “D”.
DS
The visual identity of the DS Automobiles company features two parts: a glossy silver emblem made of stylized “DS” characters, and a plain uppercase lettering with the full name of the automaker, written in solid black. The sharpness and gloss of the graphical part are perfectly grounded and stabilized by the laconic mood of the inscription.
EDAG
The feeling of strength and professionalism, evoked by the EDAG logo, is largely a credit to the chosen gray color scheme. The medium-dark shade is used by the designers for both the graphical part and the lettering, which are set in one line and look super confident in their geometric styles. The emblem is composed of three short parallel lines accompanied by a bracket-like element inscribed into them, while the inscription uses quite a laconic italicized sand-serif typeface.
Emaar Properties
The Emaar Properties logo looks like a badge of a luxury hotel, and the chosen color palette does not the last role in it. The white geometric sun-like emblem and an elegant uppercase inscription in a neat yet stable typeface with slightly flared ends of the bars are set against a solid-gray square, which creates a strong contrast and a sleek look of the badge.
Engler
The Engler logo looks super innovative, strong, and cool. It is based on a combination of flat black lettering in a progressive geometric typeface, and a three-dimensional emblem, also made with geometric accents and executed in different shades of gray, which adds volume and power to the composition.
Epic Games
Epic Games is a studio known for bestselling video games with unforgettable bright graphics. However, the primary logo of the company is executed in a very strict and professional color palette, composed of a deep and dark shade of gray and white. The badge features a modified crest shape with a sharp triangular bottom part, bold sans-serif lettering, and a small white triangle underlining it and repeating the contours of the crest’s peak.
European Parliament
The visual identity of the European Parliament is based on two graphical elements: the flag of the European Union, which is a solid blue rectangle with a ring made of twelve yellow five-pointed stars, and a minimalistic gray depiction of an amphitheater, which historically is a symbol of a Place for mass gatherings and important decision making.
Exagon Motors
The Exagon Motors visual identity is executed in a light shade of gray with transparent haziness around all the elements. The chosen color scheme makes the strong and progressive logo look mysterious and attractive, evokes a sense of curiosity, and depicts the company’s professionalism and attention to quality.
Explay
The Explay logo is somewhat super stable and powerful, with a very confident message of looking into the future. The badge is based on massive uppercase lettering, set in black against a transparent background, and a small graphical element, the triangular play button, placed near the vertical bar of the letter “L” and painted in the same shade of gray.
Five Vodka
The vertically oriented rectangular badge of the Five Vodka brand reminds us of a road with dark gray asphalt pavement and white markings. The name of the company is written vertically in smooth gray, with the “V” emboldened, and painted in white, creating the main accent of the composition. This character also has a different typeface — a sharp and classy serif.
GAZ
The visual identity of the GAZ automaker is all about elegance and gracefulness. The badge, composed of two parts, is executed in light and crispy silver shades of gray, with the edgy gazelle emblem and the bold stylized lettering set in one style and placed against a plain white background.
Gleagle
Another silver three-dimensional emblem from our list is the classy and abstract badge of Gleagle. The voluminous silver icon with an open circular element inscribed into a horizontally oriented oval frame looks super nice and progressive, resembling both an apple and an eye.
Haval
Haval is another automaker in our long list of gray logos. The emblem of this Chinese brand is executed in a medium-dark shade of gray and features just one element — a stylized wordmark, written in the uppercase of an extra-bold geometric typeface with the horizontal bars of both “A” removed.
Hawker Beechcraft
The logo of the merged company Hawker Beechcraft features a combination of the original logos of both brands. They are set in completely different styles, yet have the same sizes and are both executed in one color palette, light gray and white, which unites, balances, and harmonizes the badge.
Hawtai Motor
Hawtai Motor is one more automaker, who has chosen a gray color scheme for its logo. The badge features a sleek three-dimensional emblem, set in glossy and contrasting shades of silver-gray, and a stable and brutal lettering, written in the uppercase of a massive geometric sans-serif typeface, in a serious solid gray shade.
Hino
The logo of the Hino brand is sharp, edgy, and progressive, yet due to the use of the right color palette, based on silver shades of gray, it looks very stable and professional, showing only the strongest sides of the company and emphasizing on its professional qualities and values.
HuangHai Auto
Another Asian automaking brand, HuangHai Auto, chooses gray and silver shades for its sleek abstract emblem, which is composed of two wavy lines inscribed into a wide circular frame. The company decided to reduce gloss and use more mate shades for the emblem, making it look more chic and expensive.
IBM
The iconic IBM logo has changed several times throughout the years, but its most recognizable element, the square stable typeface, has been there almost always. The version we are talking about today features white lettering, placed on a solid gray rectangle. And in this combination, it looks extremely strong and even brutal.
Kontinental Hockey League
The crest of the Kontinental Hockey League is executed in a silver and black color palette and has a very strong and masculine design. The central part of the shield, enclosed into a double frame, is separated into four segments by two black hockey sticks, drawn in a sharp geometric manner. The black letters, placed in different segments, support the pattern.
Korres Engineering
The logo of the Korres Engineering Company looks very interesting and laconic. The emblem features two triangles, opting to the center and connected in their peaks. The composition looks like a stylized triangular symbol of eternity or a fancy bow tie. You are to decide.
Laplandia
The light and calm shade of gray on the Laplandia logo is accompanied by a copper shade of the stylized sun and a part of the elegant lettering, creating a very cold yet chic composition, and showing the brand as the one, focused on excellence and aesthetics.
Ligier
The Ligier brand chose a medium-dark shade of gray, which makes its logo look both very progressive and at the same time traditional and classy. The modern shapes of the characters and the flags in the emblem perfectly stabilize the color palette, creating a well-balanced composition.
Los Angeles Kings
The brutal geometric logo of the Los Angeles Kings franchise is set in a smooth gray black and white color palette, with the gray used for a background of a cross-shapes shield. The black lettering and white outline work beautifully together with the gray to create a timeless and strong emblem that reflects the spirit of the team.
MAN
The visual identity of the serious automaker MAN features a combination of brutal geometric lettering and an elegant lightweight minimalistic emblem, which is an arch, symbolizing whether a bridge, a sun, or a protection, roofing. Both elements of the logo are executed in shiny silver shades, which look both vivid and stable.
Maxus
The Maxus brand uses silver-gray gradients only for its emblem, which is set against a white background above a strong black lettering, written in a mixed case of a progressive geometric sans-serif typeface. The emblem depicts a stylized capital “A” inscribed into an oval frame, and the negative space of the character is a rhombus.
Mercury
The shade of gray on the Mercury logo looks very chic, as it has some barely visible greenish tones, which work great on slightly blurred elements inside the graphical emblem. The distinctive contours of the uppercase characters in the wordmark strengthen the look of the badge and make it look more professional.
Naza
The Naza logo is executed in a glossy and fresh silver with light gradients, which make the badge sunny and lively. Both the emblem with geometric ornament inside the circular frame and the extended uppercase wordmark, written in an edgy designer typeface, look futuristic, confident, and stylish.
NHK
Another simple and laconic logo on our list is the badge of the NHK brand. The concept is based on simple and flat lettering, executed in an extra-bold rounded sans-serif typeface with an inclination to the right. It is placed on a transparent background without any framing or graphical additions.
Oltcit
The graphical emblem of Oltcit combines a simple and flat gray orbit and a glossy silver three-dimensional arrowhead, pointing up, placed inside of the orbIt’s ring. There is nothing else, yet the graphical badge looks very intense and doesn’t need any accompaniments.
Patrol
The Patrol badge is brutal and smooth at the same time. Brutality is gained by the massiveness of the characters and a masculine black and gray color palette, while the rounded contours soften the mood and create a smoother image for the brand, keeping all the professional qualities at the top of the corner.
Paycor
The logo of Paycor is based on a combination of a stable and distinctive title case wordmark in solid gray, and a bright orange gradient rock, placed above the “Y” and the “C”, with its peak turned to the right. This orange element represents motion and devotion, the readiness of the company to move forward and to adopt all the innovations; while gray lettering is all about stability and confidence.
People’s
The People’s logo looks very stylish despite the fact that it only consists of a light-gray wordmark, written against a transparent background without any graphical accompaniments. The lettering is set in a mixed-case of a custom sans-serif Torrance with thick lines and clean contours of the characters, and this distinction and cleanliness are brilliantly supported by the smooth shade of gray.
Proton
Another glossy silver badge in our grayish list is the logo of the Proton brand, which uses light shades both for its emblem and the lettering. The roaring wild cat’s head is depicted in profile and enclosed into a circular frame to represent the strength of the company, while the uppercase sans-serif lettering is a depiction of stability and excellence.
Radisson
The gray in the Radisson logo is a symbol of sophistication and timelessness. Its intense shade is used for the two-leveled sans-serif lettering, with a thin long line separating them from each other, and for the minimalistic emblem where the white RH monogram is engraved in a solid gray circular medallion.
Rowenta
Technological companies and home appliance manufacturers also like gray color, as it stands for reliability and precision. Rowenta is one such brand. Its logo features a bold gray mixed case lettering in a custom futuristic typeface with rounded edges, inscribed into a lightweight rectangular frame with a softened contour.
SilverStone
The gray in the SilverCrest logo is accompanied by a light shade of blue, which looks tender and smooth and adds freshness to the composition, made of a hexagonal emblem with a stylized snowflake in the center, and elegant serif lettering with italicized uppercase characters.
Simson
Simson is the company that thinks the more the better, and it’s clearly visible by its logo. The massive glossy silver emblem, composed of a bold “S” enclosed into a circular frame with large stylized wings on the sides, is accompanied by a massive uppercase wordmark, executed in the same glossy pattern, but with lighter shades.
Sinbo
The glossy silver elements of the stylized Sinbo wordmark are decorated by a solid red dot, placed in the center of the “O”s negative space, making up a perfect eye-catcher, and creating an image, similar to a target sign, or a quality mark. And both options are quite suitable for the company’s philosophy and values.
SKYY
The brand of vodka SKYY has a super minimalistic and stylish logo. Composed of two lettering lines, the badge, executed in a light shade of gray, boasts a perfect balance of heaviness and lightness. Both levels are executed in a geometric sans-serif font, but look completely different, building an interesting combo.
Smirnoff
Another vodka brand on our list is the iconic Smirnoff. The silver three-dimensional emblem, which depicts a heraldic double-headed eagle, is overlapped by a bright red ribbon with a white wordmark written on it in a custom elegant typeface with small interesting details on the ends of the bars.
Sonos
Sonos is the company, which uses gray for the background of its logo. And it looks really good. The solid gray rectangle with no gradients has the bold white uppercase wordmark written over it in a modern geometric typeface, with the characters placed at a significant distance from each other.
Stanley Cup
The greatest hockey tournament, the Stanley Cup, has its logo executed in a sleek silver and black color palette, which evokes a sense of excellence and timelessness. The trophy, placed on top of the composition, is accompanied by a sharp uppercase inscription, placed on a solid black background.
Theranos
The Theranos logo is composed of a medium-dark gray wordmark written in the lowercase of a classic sans-serif typeface and has the “O” replaced by a circle with a gradient turquoise surface, which becomes darker at the bottom. This combination creates a dreamy and magical mood, even though the concept of the logo is more than simple.
Top Gear
Top Gear also uses a combination of gray and turquoise for its logo but in a different way. The blue element here is an enlarged metallic gear, placed in the left part of the composition and overlapped by a matte silver inscription, set in the extra-bold italicized sans-serif typeface.
US Airways
US Airways is the company, which has invented a very cool and modern graphical interpretation of the most patriotic American symbol, its national flag. It makes up the main part of the logo, being drawn in five wide gray horizontal stripes and one gray square in the upper left corner, against a plain white background without any colorful accents.
VMware
VMware has its logo set in one flat shade of gray, yet the different styles of the wordmark’s parts add diversity and make the badge interesting. The first, “VM”, is written in the lowercase of an extra-bold rounded sans serif reface with the characters merged on top, while the “Ware” is executed in a lightweight version of the same font, but with all characters detached.
Vueling Airlines
The solid gray color of the Vueling logotype is brightened up by a small Shellie dot, which is placed in the upper right corner of the banner, putting not a dot at the end of the statement, but the sun at the beginning of your journey with a famous European air carrier.
W Motors
W Motors has two different ways of using gray color in its logo: glossy metallic shades for its massive futuristic emblem with the “W” stylized as a geometric crest, and a dark flat gray, which is close to black, for the gradient uppercase inscription, written at the bottom of the composition in distinctive capitals with straight cuts of the bars.
Wet Seal
The Wet Seal logo features modern and elegant lowercase lettering in a custom designer typeface, written in a medium-dark shade of gray against a transparent background, without any additional elements and colors. The badge looks smooth and friendly and evokes a sense of trustworthiness and professionalism.
