We’re inundated with branding all day, every day, so most of us could probably picture a company’s logo seconds after hearing the brand’s name. But the logos we all know today didn’t always look like what we’re used to. Even some of the most famous company symbols, like Apple, Pepsi and more, once looked really different. For a company to have staying power for decades, they usually have to adapt to the changing times, and sometimes that includes undergoing a rebrand. If you think you know what the logos for all the major companies are, think again. Some of them started out totally unrecognizable to today’s consumers.
Not all companies can successfully undergo a branding switch-up. For example, in August 2025, Cracker Barrel tried to remove the picture of the man leaning on a barrel from its iconic logo after 48 years. The public outcry over the new minimalist emblem was so extensive that the company decided to return to the original image just a week later.
Perhaps it was helpful that many of the logo changes covered here happened long before the brands became household names or could be easily reached on social media accounts. In any case, examining the evolution of these famous companies will mean you never look at their current logos the same. Do you recognize any of these 11 vintage logos people probably forgot ever existed?
Related: The Truth Behind the Wendy’s Logo
The Nostalgia Trap: Why Old Logos Hold So Much Power Over Us
Nostalgia will always have a place in marketing, and logos are a key way to convey that feeling. This can be achieved either by companies staying consistent and familiar through the years, or sometimes even by reverting back to older, more colorful logos and away from the modern, minimalistic aesthetic.
According to Ad Age, Burger King tried the latter in 2021, with a redesign of their logo to return to the retro aesthetic and vintage color scheme of the business’s branding from 1969. And Inc reported that Pepsi also made a return to a familiar look in 2023, after consumer research found that customers liked the logos from the ’70s and ’80s, per USA Today.
This nostalgia is likely the same reason why Cracker Barrel’s rebrand flopped—people liked the familiarity of the logo they’d spent 48 years seeing. Forbes reported that studies have found that inducing memories through sensory experiences like sights and sounds can create a sense of self-esteem and social connection.
Not every company has chosen to go back in time to old logos or to keep theirs the same through the years, but the 11 companies below all have significantly shifted from their original looks.
Related: Cracker Barrel Adds Nearly a Dozen Dishes for Fan-Favorite Fall Menu
11 Vintage Logos Hiding in the History Books
1. 1976 Apple logo
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
2. 1979 Gucci logo
Santi Visalli/Getty Images
3. 1983 United Airlines logo
Bill Nation/Sygma via Getty Images
4. 1955 McDonald’s logo
Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
5. 1971 Starbucks logo
Here is a more censored version of the original 1971 Starbucks logo. But there is another NSFW original.
PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images
6. 1964 Doritos logo
Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
7. 2012 Instagram logo
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
8. 1940 Pepsi logo
Zangl/ullstein bild via Getty Images
9. 2013 Snapchat logo
Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images
10. 1962 Taco Bell logo
The original Taco Bell restaurant, located in Downey, CA, pictured here, was moved via a truck to the company’s headquarters in Irvine in 2015.Michael Robinson Chavez/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
11. 1940 AT&T logo
A view of the AT&T Building at the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York City, NY, in 1940.Sherman Oaks Antique Mall/Getty Images
Related: 9 Vintage Pyrex Patterns That Are Now Worth a Small Fortune
The Hidden Messages and Design Secrets We Completely Missed
1. Apple paying homage to Isaac Newton
The Apple II microcomputer was designed and built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak by the end of 1976, and it has the new (at the time) Apple logo. It was the first mass-marketed personal computer.SSPL/Getty Images
The 1976 Apple logo was a black-and-white drawing of mathematician Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. According to BGR, the anecdote of Newton being hit in the head with an apple is frequently used to indicate an “aha” moment or innovation, which Apple was certainly doing in the tech space.
The vintage design was eventually retired in 1977 for the more iconic “apple with a bite out of it” logo. Per Creative Bits, Rob Janoff, the designer of the new logo, said the pen-and-ink drawing of Newton was just too complex to put on the computer shells.
2. The forgotten McDonald’s mascot
David McNew/Getty Images
You know Ronald McDonald, but what about Speedee? The company’s first mascot was a chef with a hamburger head, appropriately named Speedee to denote how the restaurant planned to quickly give food to customers. Speedee was retired in 1962, according to Mashed, and now the company is known for its golden arch logo.
3. The naked Starbucks logo
When Starbucks first debuted its mermaid-inspired design, the mascot was topless. According to the Starbucks website, the design, though risqué, was considered fine “when printed at small scale.”
When the company expanded and needed delivery trucks with larger logos, the emblem was redesigned to have the siren’s hair covering her chest (pictured in #5). The logo of course went through more edits to get to the minimalistic siren seen on cups today.
What Modern Graphic Designers Can Learn From Classic Branding
Vintage branding often carries with it a timelessness. It’s all about creating a lasting mark that also evokes emotion and gets people to form a familiarity with your brand. Pro Design School noted that Massimo Vignelli, who designed the American Airlines logo, often led with timeless designs that avoided fleeting trends. The site reported that Milton Glaser, who created the “I [heart] NY” logo, was similarly interested in striking designs that could emotionally resonate with people.
Christina Horsten/picture alliance via Getty Images
Part of the reason familiarity or a return to vintage vibes can work for a company is that it targets that childhood nostalgia. We may remember growing up with a brand, and seeing it return to its former look as adults takes us back to those days. I know I’m still waiting for Kraft to bring back the Cheesasaurus Rex mascot for their macaroni and cheese commercials. It would definitely make me more inclined to pick up a box at the store.
At the end of the day, familiarity is timeless, and the most recognizable logos are designed to have a lasting impact.
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