Test out your brand knowledge in Frontify’s new Spot the Brand game

James Fooks-Bale, Frontify’s director of brand marketing, knows this well, noting that “Brands are mnemonic devices, and repetition pays off handsomely.” However, achieving this level of distinction is particularly hard these days. He adds: “In today’s landscape, every brand is global, whether we like it or not, and ensuring consistency in communication across all these diverse platforms is more challenging than ever.” This is in no small part due to the sheer number of brands competing for attention, and such a saturated marketplace means that breaking through the noise is quite a feat. It’s still possible though, and some brands have not only achieved this, but have also managed to maintain their recognition over many years.

It’s these kinds of brands – along with some newer faces – that are the focus of Frontify’s latest Spot the Brand game, which challenges users to identify 50 different brand logos hidden in a huge Where’s Wally-esque illustration as fast as they can. This second iteration of the game is a fun way to discover just how well you know your brands, and while it’s easy to tick off a fair few of them, finding all 50 in a reasonable amount of time is surprisingly difficult – not to mention that there are three different variations of the game, with each tailored to a different region (UK, US and DACH).

Illustrated by Brazilian artist Gus Morais – known for his crazy, maximalist drawings for the likes of The Washington Post and Warner Brothers – the brand-filled artworks take the shape of intricately-composed urban scenes. Hidden amongst the crowds of people and tightly-packed buildings are some of the recognisable logos in the world, from Playstation to Uber to Dominoes. These are logos that many of us can instantly visualise in our minds, but what makes them tricky to spot is how Gus has cleverly woven them into the bold tapestry of people and architecture. For instance (spoiler alert), in the US version of the game, the Subway logo appears as roadside signage, while the Slack logo is sneakily disguised as a toy fan.

As mentioned earlier, simplicity is key, with many of these logos boasting refined shapes and forms, as well as carefully-considered colour palettes composed of generally three or less colours. However, another crucial aspect is the way in which many of these logos allude to the function of their brands, without being explicit. This, James notes, is very important in creating a logo that not only stands out, but also stands the test of time. “Most successful logos are comfortable with a high degree of abstraction,” he tells us. “There’s a misconception that logos need to either illustrate or represent a core activity but more often than not the results are provincial. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of time for quaint logos, but when we’re talking about iconicity it’s worth separating it from symbolism.”

For those of you wanting to test out your own brand knowledge, Spot the Brand is free to play and can be accessed through the Frontify website. Give it a go, and don’t forget to share it with your eagle-eyed friends.