So, today we’re going to talk about one of the most common geometric shapes in logo design, the rectangle. Let’s start, perhaps, with the theory. The rectangle is called a parallelogram, which has all of its angles — right, that is, equal to 90 degrees. And it already speaks about many things: the rectangle is the figure responsible for stability, concreteness, and clarity. And in general, the rectangle is the geometric figure, which is the basis of almost all architectural structures.
According to psychologists, horizontal and vertical lines most often cause associations with calmness and clarity, and also cause a sense of trust, which is what brands and companies that use the rectangle as the basis for their visual identity achieve.
However, from the point of view of esotericism, the rectangle symbolizes changeability, inconsistency, and uncertainty, which is very much contrary to the values of this geometric figure, which we discussed above.
What conclusion follows from this? Everything is simple: a rectangle is a universal shape, in which you can put a thousand different meanings, and, having done it beautifully, achieve incredible recognition and popularity of the brand. Below we will consider the most famous and interesting logos, the basis of which is a rectangle.
The visual identity of 5sos looks pretty dramatic and strong due to its color palette and geometry respectively. The yellow logotype is written in bold geometric shapes against a solid black rectangular banner with the inner outline in yellow, softened by the rounded angles. The “O” is overlapped by a diagonal drumstick.
The Advance Auto Parts brand decided to harmonize the simplicity of its logo composition by using an intense color palette, composed of red, yellow, black, and white. The solid red rectangular badge features a slanted sans-serif lettering in yellow written on it, and a black-and-white racing flag accompanying it.
The brightness and freshness of the AIG logo are reached not only by its delightful sky-blue and white color palette but also by the distinctive geometry of the composition, built with medium-thick lines with straight angles and cuts. The slightly shadowed abbreviation of written inside the rectangular frame with no additional elements.
AMC is another company, that chose simplicity and readability over complexity and brightness. The centerpiece of the composition is the laconic sans-serif lettering, with the lowercase “A” followed by the uppercase “MC”, written in flat black lines with straight cuts of the ends. The inscription is set against a transparent background and enclosed into a thin rectangular frame, also in black.
The Avatr logo is somewhat super futuristic and minimalistic. The rectangle here is drawn in thick black lines and placed vertically. The geometric figure has four diagonal lines coming out of its angles to the center and forming a pattern of four triangles in different sizes. The emblem is accompanied by stylized uppercase lettering, where the “A”s have the horizontal bars removed.
The solid horizontal rectangle in scarlet red makes up a perfect background for the logo of Boston University. With its internal lightweight outline in white, the banner features an elegant medium-thick uppercase lettering, written against it in two levels, using a classy and timeless serif typeface full of sophistication and sharpness.
The laconic and simple composition of the BT21 visual identity is strengthened by massive shapes and a contrasting black-and-white color palette. The heavy uppercase wordmark is written in thick white lines against a plain black horizontally oriented rectangle without any framing.
Despite the name of the brand, the main geometric figure in its logo is a rectangle. The horizontally-stretched banner is divided into two parts: a large one in red, and a thin orange one at the bottom. The name of the company, followed by the solid white roundel with the red “K” inscribed into it, is set against the red part of the rectangle.
The rectangular background of the Craftsman logo is painted in solid red and has a thick black framing with straight sharp angles. The stylized uppercase lettering is written across the banner in a stylized geometric sans-serif typeface, in plain white. Due to the strong and brutal geometry and a powerful color palette the badge looks super confident and professional.
The visual identity of the Edward Jones company is executed in a simple manner with the use of a bright color palette and traditional shapes. The two-styled black lettering in the lowercase of different fonts (serif for the “Edward” and a modern bold sans-serif for the “Jones”) is written across a solid yellow rectangular banner that has no framing but is lightly shadowed.
The rectangular badge from the logo of Erste Bank has softened contours and angles, which makes it look friendly and trustworthy. The badge is painted in a bright and vivid shade of blue, which also symbolizes reliability and trustworthiness. The bold white lettering, set in a smooth and bold sans-serif typeface, only enhances these qualities, while the modern emblem with a solid dot above it represents progressiveness and confidence.
The visual identity of the Eukanuba badge is executed in a feminine pink and white color palette, with the bold title case lettering in a modern geometric sans-serif typeface written across the solid pink rectangular badge, which is flattened and extended horizontally. No other elements are present on the logo.
Another logo with the use of a rectangular shape is the badge of the Factory 25 brand. The name of the company is written in the uppercase of a geometric sans-serif typeface, accompanied by a smaller “25” in the uppercase right corner, and enclosed into a medium-thick rectangular frame. All elements are set in plain black.
The vertically-oriented rectangle with a solid gray background is stylized as a road with the name of the brand written on it in thin light bars, and the “V” is emboldened and accented by a bright white color. The logo looks super stylish due to its interesting idea and geometry.
The main shape of the Hilti banner is supported by the extra-bold rectangular typeface of the white lettering, written across it. The extended straight bars and square cuts of the ends create a very strong masculine tone of the image, making the logo instantly recognizable.
The HKS logo features not one but several rectangles: the main horizontally oriented banner, which is vertically divided into three equal fragments, one for each letter of the abbreviation, executed in an extra-bold geometric sans-serif typeface. The lines of the frame and segments’ contours are significantly thinner than the bars of the characters.
The iconic IBM lettering in a recognizable square serif typeface is written in plain white lines across a medium-dark gray rectangular banner, with no graphical or colorful additions. It looks super simple yet at the same time confident, professional, and elegant.
The rectangular IKEA badge is bright, vivid, and very strong. The solid blue banner has a horizontally-extended yellow oval in its center, with the extra-heavy uppercase inscription written across it in the same shade of blue as the color of the main rectangle.
The main hero of the Jersey Films visual identity is not the rectangle, but the typeface of the uppercase lettering, written inside a medium-thick rectangular frame. The solid black inscription, set in two levels, features interesting playful shapes of the characters. With smooth contours and sharpened cuts of the bars’ ends.
The Lenovo logo is based on a distinctive title case lettering, written in a modern medium-thick sans-serif typeface with a diagonal bar of the lowercase “E”. The white inscription is set against a solid red rectangular banner without any framing or additional graphics.
The rectangular frame on the Live Nation logo has its contour opened at the bottom: it is cut by the black “Entertainment “ tagline in small capitals. As for the main part of the badge, it features a bold geometric lettering in red and black, with the “I” in the “Live” replaced by a small silhouette of a person standing with their arms stretched up and to the sides.
The medium-dark shade of blue in combination with white creates a very strong and confident mood in the London Drugs logo, and it is enhanced by the stability of its geometry. The double rectangular frame of the solid blue banner makes up an elegant and fresh accompaniment for extra-bold uppercase lettering in a modern sans-serif typeface.
The distinctive rectangle in solid red on the logo of Marvel Comics is accompanied by a white uppercase lettering, with its bold and narrowed characters placed very close to each other, and having some of the areas merged. The combination of colors and a strong geometry of the elements create a super confident and memorable image.
The circular emblem with a contoured tiger’s head from the logo of Maybank balances the strictness and simplicity of the solid yellow rectangle, which makes up the base for the composition. The bold black titlecase lettering, placed on the right from the emblem, uses a modern font that has both the straightness of the rectangle and the smoothness of the circle in it.
The stylish and stable Miele logo has two rectangles in it: the obvious solid burgundy one from the background, and a small white figure, set diagonally above the letter “I”, which is the second character in the extra-bold title case inscription, set in a brutal geometric serif typeface.
The horizontal rectangle from the Mustek logo is visually divided into two parts: a solid green square with the white stylized “M” on the left, and a white smaller rectangle in a green outline, where the rest of the wordmark is written in bold gray lowercase characters.
National Geographic is one of those brands, which use the rectangular shape not as the framing for the logotype or an emblem. The geometric shape here is a star. Contoured in yellow, the vertically-oriented rectangle is placed on the left from the two-leveled inscription, creating a man abstract representation of a window or a door one has to open to get to an amazing world of nature.
The NATO rectangular badge is divided into two equal parts: the left one features a two-toned blue background and a contoured wind rose symbol in the center, while the right one is set in solid black and has a two-leveled mirrored lettering written on it in white capitals of a classy serif font.
The iconic Nintendo logo has its rectangular shape balanced by a flat rounded frame drawn around the bold title case lettering in the center of the corporation. Both geometric shapes of the badge are horizontally extended, creating a super cool and progressive mood, supported by the contrasting bright color palette.
The Panavision badge has a very interesting geometry. Several rectangular contours in thin lines create a type of visual illusion, making up a corridor, which leads to somewhat unrealistic and unique. Executed in the laconic black-and-white color palette, the logo has a slanted futuristic lettering as the centerpiece of the composition.
The rectangular logo of Plains GP Holdings has a solid white square on the right of the composition, with the blue image set in it and accompanied by horizontal lines of different thicknesses and colors. The main part of the banner features a solid blue shade and a white two-leveled lettering in a traditional yet slightly narrowed serif typeface.
The solid blue rectangle, which makes up the base of the Pure Encapsulations logo, has all four angles rounded, which makes the badge look friendly and reliable. These qualities are supported by the style of the two-leveled lettering, set in the lowercase of an italicized sans-serif typeface with traditional contours of the characters.
Another logo in our rectangular collection is the one that belongs to the Royal Caribbean company. It is also made of two parts: a solid blue square with a stylized white anchor on it, and a light blue and yellow rectangle with the lettering, attached to the right border of the square.
The funky and memorable logo of the Super 8 brand features a bright yellow rectangular as the main shape, stylized black lettering in a bold designer cursive, and an enlarged “8”, drawn in solid red with thin white and black shadowing. The intensity of colors is supported by the smoothness and juiciness of the elements’ shapes, and grounded by a simple and distinctive “By Windham” tagline.
The laconic composition of the Supreme logo wins due to its minimalistic design and intense eye-catching color palette. The badge is composed of just two elements: a solid red rectangular badge, set horizontally, and a clean title case lettering in white, executed in a medium-weight geometric sans-serif typeface.
The softened rectangular frame of the U-Haul logo balances the strength and masculinity of the heavy geometric lettering, shortened in solid black inside the badge and underlined by a narrow and long orange rectangle. The logo looks super powerful and confident.
The solid red rectangular Valve banner has the name of the company engraved on it. Set in a medium-weight traditional geometric sand serif, the wordmark features its last letter written in a smaller size, which makes the Valve badge super interesting and memorable.
The sleek and progressive VH1 logo has a rectangular shape not only as the background. The stylized geometric lettering also uses this shape: the “H” is built of three small rectangles, with the one, set horizontal tally elongated to the right, touching the corners of the “1”, and creating an even more interesting pattern made of simple elements.
The Viega logo is made of two rectangles, placed one under another at a slight distance and forming a square. The top one is painted in black and has a yellow lowercase lettering written against its surface, while the bottom rectangle is set in yellow and has no elements drawn on it.
The strict rectangular shape of the Villebrequin banner and its double framing is balanced by the arched disposition of the narrowed sans-serif lettering, written across the blue background in plain white bars. The logo looks stylish and professional.