Famous Brands and the Unlikely Origin Stories Behind Them

Like superheroes, famous brands almost always have a great origin story. Okay, it might not be about a radioactive spider bite, but it’s often not far off. Family feuds, top-secret recipes, and bizarre coincidences fill the histories of some of the world’s best-known companies.

And sometimes, that story starts with a scrappy entrepreneur at a coworking space. Like our CEO Dawson Whitfield! After trying a ton of business ideas to no avail, Looka was born from trying to make professional and expensive logo design accessible to all. 

So from green armchairs to orange shoes and trips to the zoo, we’re diving into the origins of the world’s most famous brands and iconic brand identities — and key lessons to take away from each. 

Famous brands and their stories

Let’s get into 13 famous brands and the origin stories that changed the world and people’s lives.

1. Red Bull: Fueling dreams by avoiding sleep

Ubiquitous among adrenaline junkies, long-haul truckers, and athletes alike, Red Bull has dominated the global energy drinks market for decades.

But it wasn’t always this way. Red Bull once led a humble life as a pick-me-up for blue-collar workers in rural Thailand. Marketed to low-paid laborers and motorbike taxi drivers, Krating Daeng was the basis for what would later become, you guessed it: Red Bull.

The potent concoction of caffeine and taurine was originally tweaked from a popular Japanese recipe by Thai entrepreneur Chaleo Yoovidyha, who introduced Krating Daeng to Thailand in the 70s. Chaleo also designed Krating Daeng’s logo: two fighting bison in front of a yellow sunset.

Sound familiar? According to the South China Morning Post, the logo ‘“evoked the lively spirit of the bullfights that have long been popular in parts of rural Thailand.”

Cut to 1984: Austrian marketeer, Dietrich Mateschitz, is jet-lagged while traveling around Thailand for work. By chance, he picks up a strange medicinal-looking bottle with two fighting bulls on it. His jet lag disappears, and the seed for what we now know as Red Bull is planted.

Redbull even had a guy jumping to earth from outer space. Talk about a conversation piece on what’s possible!

Source: space.com

While Mateschitz updated the brand, he stuck close to its roots. Red Bull retained the original fighting spirit of Krating Daeng, keeping — among other things — both the bison logo and the name.

Lessons from Redbull’s story

Famous brands have deep roots in our psyches. Don’t be afraid to be inspired by an idea or formula that works already — but think about how you could improve it in a new and broader context.

• Think about how you can link a product to an aspirational lifestyle
• Use brand marketing to create a story and stir emotion around the brand
• A unique and deeply symbolic logo can help you stand out

Red is a top logo color trend this year! Check out some fiery red logo ideas below:

2. TD: Sit to start

Source: www.brandchannel.com

TD Bank is an iconic North American brand. Started in 1855 to serve Canada’s emerging grain industry, The Bank of Toronto grew to become one of the largest banks in the world.

Although the company went through several iterations and mergers before it became the TD we know today, it has tried to stay close to a set of guiding values that put the customer front and center.

A key symbol of the TD brand, the small but mighty green chair is now synonymous with the bank itself. By its estimates, TD’s mean, green comfort machine has a brand recognition of 86% among Canadians. As far as furniture goes, that’s a pretty famous chair.

After its acquisition in 2000, the company was looking to make a bold statement to the many clients who felt undervalued by the very banks that depended on them. Enter the Harrod and Mirlin agency, and the idea for an “inhabitable metaphor” — something to represent comfort and familiarity at a glance.

Now, the green chair is synonymous with a comfortable and transparent banking experience, even appearing in Super Bowl commercials!

Source: youtube.com

Lessons from TD’s story

Brand symbols — either as they appear in logos or in ads and marketing materials — can be an effective way to help your customers make a positive association.

• Think carefully about finding a symbol that encapsulates the brand but can also withstand the test of time.
• Link your brand to a feeling by using color, objects, or mascots.
• Find gaps within your industry and focus on how you can provide a solution.

3. Penguin: Distinct, adorable, and unforgettable

Source: Penguin.co.uk

One of the most iconic logos ever created, the dancing penguin became the crowning symbol for a famous brand whose history includes naked board meetings, trips to the zoo, and an office in a crypt.

The eclectic British publishing house started back in 1934 when the young publisher Allen Lane found himself waiting for a train at Exeter St David’s and scouring the train station’s bookstore for something to read. What he found was either overpriced or mediocre.

Sensing a gap in the market for a more affordable and high-quality alternative, Lane and his brothers got to work. Lane had already discussed using an animal logo for the brand, but it wasn’t until a typist suggested a penguin as “dignified, but flippant” that Lane settled.

Falling in love with the idea, Lane immediately sent the 21-year-old designer Edward Young to the London Zoo where the dancing penguin finally emerged.

Lessons from Penguin Publishers

Boiling your brand down to one word or phrase is a great way to get clear on the creative direction you want to take. After that, you’ll have a better sense of the rules that govern how your brand might look (including the logo).

• Find one or two words that embody your brand.
• Choose a symbol that’s unassociated with anything else, and make it yours.
• Stay lighthearted, have fun, and appeal to customers’ emotional needs.

Interested in creating a logo that resonates with your story? Here are some animal logos inspired by Penguin Publishers and other famous brands.

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4. Uber: From spark to sensation

Uber, one of the worlds most famous brands, has had its fair share of wrong turns over the years (driving pun). But it’s hard to deny it has one of the most impressive brand vehicles out there (there’s another!). Like all famous brands, Uber started from a personal experience.

In March of the following year, the two co-founders developed the app and proceeded to test it in New York in 2010 using just three cars. Returning to Paris in December 2012, they launched Uber — exactly three years after the app was first conceived there. The company has grown exponentially since then, revolutionizing the meaning of travel along the way.

Yet one of the most inspiring elements of that journey is the way Uber has come to tell its story in every element of its brand guidelines. Uber’s entire platform — from the app to the tone of the brand’s voice and design — is a masterclass in branding.

Lessons from Uber’s start and rise

Uber started by creating a breakthrough product. But their brand is what gave them longevity when competitors came in flocks.

• Be creative about how you tell your story. Lean into aspiration and inspirational emotions.
• Consider how you can improve people’s lives with minimum barriers to entry.
• Foster strong brand foundations and disrupt old, dated systems.

Modern geometric sans logos are a top logo trend this year! Check out some more examples below:

5. Monzo: Trust the process, defy the norm

Source: Monzo.com

It’s rare to have your brand known just by a brand color. But that’s exactly what the UK FinTech company Monzo achieved. In just a few years, the alternative banking startup took the UK by storm. Existing at the crossroads of technology and user experience, Monzo grew as an answer to public dissatisfaction with traditional banking.

But the company’s most famous brand asset, its luminous coral debit cards, didn’t come about as a typical brand decision. Monzo’s CEO described how a printer’s deadline made the company pressure its designer into providing final proofs, with only an hour and a half left to go. 

Frustrated, the designer suggested they may as well just use the color of his shoes, a pair of hot coral Nikes. The CEO loved it, and the brand color stuck. Ironically, the card’s color became perfectly emblematic of Monzo’s brand values: bright, different, and luminous.

Monzo’s “coral” of the story

• Trust the creative process; be open to happy accidents when exploring your brand identity!
• Remember that sometimes a little pressure under tight deadlines is where the best decisions can be made.
• Set deadlines for yourself to keep the momentum going and the great ideas flowing.

Looka’s Logo Maker has a ton of designer-approved color combinations to help you find the right brand colors.

6. Häagen-Dazs: When in doubt, make it up

Source: icecream.com

If the name Häagen-Dazs sounds European, that’s exactly what founders Reuben and Rose Mattus wanted you to think. But the truth? It’s pure gibberish. In the early 1960s, the husband-and-wife duo set out to create a premium ice cream brand unlike anything else on the market—rich, creamy, and made with the finest ingredients. 

But with any good company, you need brand marketing that emulates a feeling to customers. And this includes the name. The founders needed a creative business name that evoked old-world luxury. Inspired by  WWII Danish resistance efforts, Reuben invented “Häagen-Dazs”, even tossing in an umlaut for fun (the two dots on top of the “a”).

By the 1970s, Häagen-Dazs had cemented itself as the ultimate indulgence, a status symbol scooped straight from the freezer. Today, the brand continues to be synonymous with luxury, proving that sometimes, the best brands aren’t just born—they’re brilliantly made up.

Lessons from Häagen-Dazs

A brand name doesn’t need to be real to be powerful—it just needs to evoke the right emotion. Häagen-Dazs shows us:

• Intentional brand storytelling, even one built from scratch, can create an aura of luxury and authenticity 
• Lean on people’s existing associations with luxury, quality, or efficiency.
• A unique business name, no matter how weird, can help you stand out in a crowded market.

7. Burt’s Bees: Planet, people, profit

Source: burtsbees.com

Burt Shavitz wasn’t looking to build a famous brand —he just wanted a simple life, one that moved with the rhythm of the seasons. After trading his life as a New York photojournalist for the quiet solitude of Maine, he took up beekeeping, selling honey from the back of his bright yellow pickup truck.

One day, he pulled over for a hitchhiker—an artist named Roxanne Quimby—and the two struck up an unlikely partnership. Burt had the bees, and Roxanne had a knack for turning leftover beeswax into something more.

What started with homemade candles at craft fairs soon became something bigger. The duo’s lip balm was an instant hit, and their commitment to natural, handcrafted products set them apart.

Source: nytimes.com

Even as the company expanded, its foundation remained the same: nature holds the best ingredients, and with care, it gives us all we need. Burt’s face, now an iconic logo emblem, serves as a reminder of the brand’s beginnings. 

Lessons from Burt’s Bees

Burt’s Bees proves that the most powerful brands are built on authenticity—when your origin story aligns with your product values, it becomes your greatest asset.

• A brand’s success can stem from staying true to its ethos. 
• Scaling without compromising the brand’s integrity is key to a successful launch.
• Putting the planet and people first is a profitable business model.

8. Dr. Bronner’s: Soap on a mission for unity

Source: avivahealth.com

In 1948, Emanuel Bronner arrived in California with little more than a vision and a formula for the finest castile soap. But for Bronner, soap was never just about cleanliness, although that’s how many of us think about it.

So what began as a modest operation soon became the soap of choice for free spirits, environmentalists, conscious cleaning businesses, and anyone searching for something real. Dr. Bronner’s iconic label, crammed with his “Moral ABCs,” turned every shower into a moment of philosophy.

Source: naturespath.com

Today, Dr. Bronner’s remains a family-run company that honors its founder’s unconventional vision. With every bottle sold, it continues to spread a message of peace, activism, and social responsibility—proving that soap can do more than clean. It can spark a movement. 

Dr.Bonner’s brand lessons to all

• Strong brand personality and identity create deep customer loyalty.
• Staying true to the brand “why” can link a product to a larger social movement.
• A values-driven story can differentiate a product and build a devoted following.

9. Ginsu Knives: A sharp idea and genius marketing

Source: kitchenware.international

In the late 1970s, two savvy marketers, Barry Becher and Ed Valenti, set out to sell the impossible: a kitchen knife so sharp and durable it could cut through tin cans, yet slice a tomato paper-thin. But they knew selling a great knife wasn’t enough—it needed a story.

Their television ads became legendary. A man in a karate gi smashed through wooden boards with his bare hands but was helpless against a ripe tomato—until the Ginsu knife appeared. With each new demonstration, the pitch intensified: “But wait, there’s more!” A carving fork, steak knives, a peeler—all for just $9.95.

Source: golocalprov.com

The drama and irresistible deal turned a simple kitchen tool into a pop culture phenomenon, selling millions of knives to homes that already had plenty. By the mid-1980s, Ginsu was referenced in sitcoms, late-night talk shows, and even political speeches. It wasn’t just a knife; it was the power of a well-told story.

Ginsu cuts to the chase

• Powerful storytelling and strategic marketing can transform even ordinary products into must-have items.
• By using dramatic ads, clever demonstrations, and a sense of urgency, Ginsu turned kitchen knives into a cultural phenomenon.
• Brands can learn that perception is just as important as the product itself.

10. Chobani: Doing well by doing good

Source: Chobani.com

Chobani started with a bold dream and a lot of hard work. In 2005, Hamdi Ulukaya, an immigrant from Turkey, bought an old yogurt factory in upstate New York. He noticed a lack of high-quality, authentic yogurt on store shelves, and he saw this as an opportunity to make a difference.

Growing up in a family of dairy farmers in Turkey, he had a deep appreciation for simple, natural ingredients and the rich, creamy yogurt he enjoyed as a child.

Source: chobani.com/impact/our-causes

After the success of Chobani Greek Yogurt, the company began focusing on giving back. Hamdi introduced a ton of community impact projects aimed at helping new immigrants and refugees, abolishing child hunger, and championing inclusivity and sustainability.

Good deeds and great yogurt

• Strong branding goes beyond quality products—it’s about reflecting core values in every aspect of the business.
• Prioritizing social impact and supporting local communities and marginalized groups can build trust and loyalty.
• Meaningful actions can create lasting connections with consumers. No matter the product!

11. Pret A Manger: Fast food but fancy and fresh

Source:blog.slantco.com

In 1983, Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham set out to solve a problem that plagued London’s fast-paced professionals—finding fresh, high-quality food on the go. Think of a freshly made baguette sandwich with fresh vegetables and cold cuts. Or a delicious homemade soup. 

Disheartened by the pre-packaged options available, they envisioned a place where sandwiches were crafted daily. They came across a small shop in Hampstead named “Pret A Manger,” meaning “ready to eat” in French, and carried its name forward. With a tiny kitchen, the first Pret was born, offering a new kind of fast food—one that was as fresh as it was fast.

Source: newyorker.com

Unlike other sandwich chains relying on factory-made products, Pret prepared everything on-site, embracing a philosophy of daily-made meals that never sat on shelves overnight. But breaking into the market wasn’t easy. With limited funds, the first store struggled to turn a profit in its early months.

As demand grew, so did Pret. The founders’ commitment to fresh food fueled rapid expansion across London, then beyond. By the late 1990s, Pret had become a staple on bustling high streets, and the brand’s reputation for quick, quality meals followed it into international markets. 

Quick, but still quality

• A strong brand identity, rooted in authenticity and an ear for customer needs, drives long-term growth.
• Brands that stay true to their core values, create a seamless customer experience, and adapt without losing their identity can build lasting loyalty.
• Using the power of association (in this case a French name) can help build off of existing preconceived notions.

12. Oatly – Small changes, big impacts

Source: non-gmoreport.com

Oatly began in the 1990s when Swedish scientist Rickard Öste developed a groundbreaking process to turn oats into milk. Despite its innovation, Oatly remained under the radar until 2012, when newly appointed CEO Toni Petersson had a vision to transform Oatly into a movement.

Before Petersson joined, Oatly was struggling to stand out amongst the competitive and cutthroat dairy institutions. Petersson’s vision was to rebrand Oatly as more than a product—he wanted it to represent a movement. A movement against the archaic status quo of dairy, and into the less harmful, and still delicious alternative milk.

Since then, Oatly has become a household name and is now available in over 20 countries. But what sets Oatly apart from other non-dairy milk brands? Oatly’s focus on brand marketing and sustainability makes buying their products feel like a protest.

Source: campaignasia.com

Oatly is a great example of radically transparent and individualistic marketing. It resonates directly with disillusioned consumers seeking a sustainable lifestyle! This direction turned Oatly into a household name, proving that a strong brand identity can be just as important as the product itself.

Oat milk, but make it a movement

Oatly’s journey from a small startup to a global brand offers valuable lessons:

• Prioritize strong branding and storytelling.
• Use design strategically to stand out.
• Start with niche markets to build credibility.
• Embrace transparency to turn criticism into growth opportunities.

13. Superdry: British Brand with Japanese Flair

corporate.superdry.com

In the early 2000s, Julian Dunkerton and James Holder were no strangers to fashion. But a trip to Tokyo changed everything. Enamored by the city’s effortless mix of bold t-shirt graphics, technical precision, and streetwear culture, they saw an opportunity to blend Japanese-inspired design with the rugged appeal of American vintage style.

In 2007, David Beckham was spotted in a Superdry leather jacket, causing the label to explode in popularity. Yet, for all its visibility, Superdry maintained quiet dominance. Its success lay in a formula that defied traditional fashion categories: accessible yet premium, designed but not designer, sporty but not technical.

Lessons from Superdry’s super rise

• Blending global influences can create a new niche category (in this case Japanese-inspired design with vintage Americana).
• Having a clear and unwavering aesthetic creates recognizability.
• Lean into a lifestyle, rather than only a style.

Kick off your brand story with Looka

Starting is the most daunting part. The time and costs associated with starting a business can be overwhelming and expensive. We know!

And the time and commitment needed? It can make it feel impossible when you’re already inundated with responsibility.

But you can cut costs where possible, and start by creating your logo and brand kit with Looka. Once you see your brand physically come to life, you’ll be able to create the brand and business of your dreams.

Either way, we’ll be here cheering you on.

Great design starts with small ideas

Telling the story of who you are and why you started a business can captivate customers and make a deeper connection over time.

Revisiting your beginnings is a great way to gain clarity on the direction of your brand. Think about why you began in the first place and how you can portray that as a message, a visual identity, and in the actions you take as a business.

But most importantly, enjoy the ride!