During the course of a normal day, a person can come across dozens if not hundreds of logos in their home, workplace, or as they walk down the street.
Although relatively simple in design, many are still able to display hidden meanings and messages in their imagery and color.
You may have never even realized what a certain symbol or font behind some of the world's most famous logos represents, or spotted what is nestled subtly within them.
Below are just some examples of major brands having additional connotations behind their recognizable logos.
FedEx
Perhaps one of the most famous logo hidden messages is the arrow seen between the "E" and the "X" in the delivery company's name.
In an interview with Fast Company, the logo's designer, Lindon Leader, said: "The arrow could connote forward direction, speed and precision, and if it remained hidden, there might be an element of surprise, that aha moment."
Amazon
Amazon is another company who uses an arrow in their logo, but for a different reason.
The online retailer's logo shows an arrow connecting the letter A to the letter Z, signifying you'll find everything you need from A to Z on its site.
Toblerone
The chocolate was founded in the Swiss city of Bern, known as the "City of Bears."
When you look closely at the Alp on the logo, you can see a standing bear in the negative space.
Chick-fil-A
One of the easier hidden messages to spot in a company logo is the chicken that is formed in the letter "C" in the fast-food chain's name.
Formula One
While the black F in the logo is easily identifiable, it may take viewers a little longer to see that there is a "1" in the space between the letter and the red pattern.
Audi
The four circles that comprise the Audi logo represent the four companies that came together to create the original Audi, namely: Auto Union: DKW, Horch, Wanderer, and Audi.
Toyota
The car manufacturer's logo consists of three overlapping rings. The company says the ovals also symbolize "the unification of the hearts of our customers and the heart of Toyota products.
"The background space represents Toyota's technological advancement and the boundless opportunities ahead."
The shape of the overlapping rings can also be used to spell out each letter in "Toyota."
Domino's
The domino part of the logo is obvious, but what pizza lovers may not realize is the significance of the three dots.
The chain originally intended to add a dot each time they opened at a new location. However, they decided to leave it at just the three original locations.
To date, there are more than 17,000 Domino's Pizzas across the world.
The digital pinboard platform not only incorporated the first letter of its name into its logo, but also made it look like a pin, a nod to how its users "pin" their interests on the site.
Michael Deal, co-designer of the Pinterest logo, said: "For most of the project, I had avoided making visual reference to the image of a pin because it seemed too literal. But the 'P' started to lend itself too well to the shape of a map pin."
Goodwill Industries International
The nonprofit has a hidden message twice in their logo, with the "g" in the main image, as well as in the name, portraying part of a smiley face.
LG
The logo's winking face features the letters of the company's name. The nose is the "L" and the outline of the face is the "G".
Gamecube
Similar to LG, the logo for the Nintendo console Gamecube also subtly displays G and C.
While the symbol may look like a standard cube, if you look closer you can make out a "G" surrounding a "C" inside.
Cisco
As Cisco manufacturers software and telecommunications equipment, it makes sense the lines of their logo represents digital signals.
The IT company was founded in San Francisco and the rising and falling lines also represent the city's famous Golden Gate Bridge.
Beats
The recognizable headphones from the by Dr. Dre-founded company are actually incorporated in its logo.
At first it may just look like a red circle with a lowercase "b" running through it, but it is also supposed to represent a head wearing a pair of Beats over the ears.
Unilever
Unilever produces thousands of items and the letter "U" is made up of different symbols that represent some of the company's many products.
"Our logo was designed to include 24 icons, each of which represents something important to Unilever," the company states on their website.
"From a lock of hair symbolizing our shampoo brands to a spoon, an ice cream, a jar, a tea leaf, a hand and much more, the little icons all have a meaning."
Tostitos
The tortilla chips dip company shows two people enjoying their products in the logo.
The two lowercase "t"s in the logo represent people holding a large chip, and the dot on top of the letter "i" serves as their bowl of salsa.
Baskin Robbins
The popular ice cream chain known for its long list of flavors have hidden the total number in its logo, which was introduced in 2005.
A pink 31 can be seen in the middle of the "B" and "R".
Carol Austin, VP of marketing for Baskin-Robbins, told CNBC that the logo is "meant to convey the fun and energy of the Baskin-Robbins brand.
"The 31 stands for our belief that our guests should have the opportunity to explore a fun, new ice cream flavor every day of the month."
NBC
The white space in the middle of the network's logo represents a peacock because the company wanted to show they are proud of their work, as in "proud as a peacock."
The different colors were also introduced in 1956 to highlight the network's color programming.
Vaio
The Japanese company incorporates both the analog and digital technologies in their logo.
The letters "va" are made to look like an analog wave, while the "io" resemble the numbers 1 and 0 used in binary code.
BMW
BMW's logo colors come from the Bavarian flag, which are blue and white.
It is also thought that the blue and white circles are meant to represent a spinning propeller, with the blue being the sky, due to the car manufacturer's aviation history.
Gillette
The first two letters in the razor company's logo show a precise and straight cut off, suggesting that they have been given a sharp shave.
Adidas
The current logo for the sporting giant shows its famous three stripes gradually increasing in size.
The stripes are meant to represent a mountain and the idea that athletes must overcome challenges to meet their goals.
The colorful logo for the search engine is meant to show how they don't play by the rules.
The internet giant uses a primary color palette for five of the six letters, while breaking it with the green "l".
Subway
In 2016, the sandwich chain changed its logo to remove the dark boarder around each letter and change the colors from white and yellow, to yellow and green.
The company said the new logo is "a reflection of the colorful array of fresh vegetables and other ingredients" and the arrows on the first and last letters "symbolize the choices SUBWAY provides its guests."
Wendy's
Another favorite apparent hidden meaning in a logo is the word "mom" seen in Wendy's collar.
While Wendy's is named after its founder's daughter and is known as a family-friendly restaurant, the company says this was not done on purpose.
A Wendy's spokesperson previously told Business Insider: "We are aware of this and find it interesting that it appears our Wendy cameo has 'mom' on her ruffled collar. We can assure you it was unintentional."
Correction 2/18/21, 4:50 a.m. ET: This article previously attributed an unofficial logo to Bronx Zoo; this has been removed.
Update 2/18/21: Subway's logo has been added to the list.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
