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Coca-Cola - A truly global brand, the name Coca-Cola was thought up by Frank M. Robinson in 1886. His partner, John S. Pemberton, had already finalized the drink’s formula. The familiar Arciform or ‘fishtail’ logo seen in this image evolved from 1958 through the 1960s.

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Nike - Caroline Davidson designed the famous Nike swoosh symbol in 1971, after meeting company founder Phil Knight at Portland State. She was paid $35 for her efforts, but was later given 500 shares of stock (now worth $643,000).

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Microsoft - The earliest known Microsoft logo was designed in 1975, created in a matter of hours by founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen using BASIC, a computer language program. In 2012, the logo enjoyed a long-overdue revamp. The symbol’s squares of color are intended to express the company’s diverse portfolio of products.

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McDonald's - Founded by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1940, McDonald’s is represented by one of the most iconic marks in logo history. In 1952, Richard sketched two half-circle arches, his concept for a corporate logo. Sign-maker George Dexter developed the idea, and the giant yellow arches were born.

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Apple - Rob Janoff created the iconic Apple logo way back in 1977. The reason for the bite mark is to lend it scale, so the apple wouldn’t be confused with a cherry. Why an apple, you ask? Steve Jobs named his computer after his favorite brand of apple, a McIntosh.

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Ford - The celebrated oval dates back to 1909, but the first Ford automobile to carry the logo on the radiator grill was the new 1927 Model A. C. Harold Will designed the original logo, and his calligraphy of this script-based corporate logo is still in use today.

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Facebook - San Francisco-based design agency Cuban Council created the ubiquitous logo for one of the world’s largest global brands, often identified by a simple icon.

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Playboy - Originally created in 1933 by Art Paul, Playboy magazine’s first art director, the Playboy brand and related bunny logo are essential elements to the adult publication’s corporate image worldwide.

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Amazon - Visual identity and packaging design agency Turner Duckworth, created the present logo in 2000. The smile and arrow say “we are happy to deliver anything, anywhere, from A to Z.”

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Pepsi - Recognized throughout the world, the distinctive blue, white, and red Pepsi logo has gone through many changes since the drink was created and marketed by Caleb Bradham in 1898.

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Harley-Davidson - The first Harley-Davidson motorcycle was officially assembled in 1903, but it was in 1910 that the first version of the company’s distinctive ‘Bar and Shield’ logo was created. The company was founded by William S. Harley, Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson and William A. Davidson.

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Google - The mother of all search engine logos, the original mark was developed in 1998 by Ruth Kedar. Since then it has constantly evolved. The image here represents its 2013 incarnation, still using primary colors and a single secondary color (green).

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Starbucks - The logo for the world’s biggest coffeehouse chain originally featured a topless, twin-tailed mermaid. In 2011, the wordmark was dropped to reveal a streamlined image of the siren.

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Twitter - Another logo that’s undergone several revisions as the company has evolved, the Twitter Bird is part of tech-start-up history. In 2012, the mark was revamped to feature just the bird.

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Burger King - The present logo dates back to 1999, but the company’s designers have always striven to evoke appetite in potential customers by using mouth-watering images, and bold, saturated colors.

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Disney - The stylized version of Walt Disney’s autograph is not a font, but a custom wordmark. Some believe it’s actually based on the signature of one of the Disney employees who was authorized to sign autographs for him. Whatever the case, the Walt Disney brand is synonymous with endearing family entertainment cherished by millions around the world.

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FedEx - The distinctive FedEx logo has won over 40 design awards since the company’s inception in 1971. The current mark was created in 1994, and packs a lot of information and symbolism into a clean and simple logo.

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IBM - IBM’s logo has endured tremendous upheaval in the tech world. However, the eight bars have been a prominent feature since 1972, evolving from an original design by the pioneering graphic designer and art director, Paul Rand.

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Mastercard - Recently rebranded to convey simplicity and modernity, while still preserving the company’s heritage, Mastercard has also lowercased the “C” in the new card. The mark first appeared in 1969.

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Dell - The big deal behind the multinational computer technology company Dell, was that founder Michael Dell wanted to “turn the world on its ear.” This is where there's a misaligned “E” in the corporate logo.

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KFC - Kentucky Fried Chicken, commonly referred to as KFC, the logo signifies iconic company founder Colonel Harland Sanders. The current version features the ever-smiling colonel in a red apron.

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Pfizer - One of the largest multinational pharmaceutical companies in the world, Pfizer also has one of the most memorable and instantly recognizable logos in the industry. It was designed in 1987 by Gene Grossman.

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Ray-Ban - One of the world’s most desirable must-have fashion accessories, Ray-Ban sunglasses was originally founded by Bausch & Lomb in the 1930s, to essentially ban the sun’s rays from the eyes. Simple, but hugely effective.

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Visa - The image represented here features the old Visa brand mark, which first appeared on cards in 1970. In 2006, a new design was introduced. However, the famous blue, white and gold color scheme remains.

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The North Face - Contrary to its Alpine wilderness image, The North Face was actually conceived on a San Francisco beach in 1966. However, the name alludes to the north face of the Eiger. The symbol gave yet another context, as it is basically an elucidation of the Half Dome rock stature in Yosemite National Park.

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Hewlett Packard - An esteemed symbol in the world of technology, the Hewlett Packard logo represents the company’s assurances of strength and reliance.

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United Nations - The logo and the flag of the UN identifies the work undertaken by the United Nations in trouble spots around the world. It was created by a team of designers during the United Nations Conference on International Organization in 1945.

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Mattel - Products and brands produced under the umbrella of this multinational toy manufacturing company include Fisher-Price, Matchbox and Barbie. The name Mattel is a linguistic blend of Harold "Matt" Matson and Elliot Handler, the company's founders.

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NASA -

A truly universal mark, and known officially as the insignia, NASA’s round logo is affectionately nicknamed “meatball,” and is based on the Administration's original 1959 design.

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