So many logos are now famous and monitored by marketers and enthusiasts all over the world. There are charts of the most powerful, influential and easy to recognize. For some, it takes years to earn international fame. Others launch or rebrand with a strong campaign and earn the much-needed awareness.
Let’s look at one of the most influential logos in the fashion industry. The brand itself might have launched back in 1854. However, in the last 20 years, it skyrocketed, and it’s tightly connected to LV’s most successful products. The Louis Vuitton logo history might be brief, but it contains some branding lessons which you can learn from when building your first website.
A Brand Overview
- Louis Vuitton was founded as a seller of French luxury goods. It specialized in bags, purses, suitcases, and trunks for wealthy customers.
- Back in its first year, they didn’t have a logo. Although a logo design with a bag symbol would’ve been appropriate, they actually used a personalized and stylish font for its products.
- The LV monogram first appeared in 1896. Then they rose to fame thanks to actresses(we would call them nowadays influencers) showing their bags off and product placement.
- Even though the brand is visible online, it surprisingly couldn’t purchase the Lv.com domain which belongs to an insurance company.
- They are among the most counterfeited brands in the fashion industry. The LV signature monogram and floral design were created to prevent fakes. Yet, the company remains active in fighting for counterfeiting.
Louis Vuitton Logo Evolution
Their logo evolution includes only three milestones. None of the changes modified any previous version of the visual branding.
1896: Louis Vuitton’s son Georges created the logo and floral design. The LV monogram is comprised by an italic and capitalized L, next to a right-inclined capitalized V. The words Louis Vuitton are written in serif beneath the logo. These words don’t appear on products.
1997: Vuitton started a collaboration with clothes designer Marc Jacobs and entered the market of ready-wear clothing. They now spoke to a new public and began using it to create even more products. This initiative made LV accessible and even more popular.
2017: It became design artwork as part of an LV – Supreme collaboration. The two company logos appeared together on products, showcasing the floral design LV logo.
Successful Louis Vuitton Logo Branding Initiatives
There are some lessons you might learn, especially if you consider creating an online brand and a website. Before launching your project, take note of the below and develop learn more about brand logos.
- Consistency is key. LV has never changed its monogram or floral design. Even though they’re available in a few colors, designers decided to rather work on inserting them into products than adjusting them.
- Collaborations should be in line with your message. If your online website and brand development, you might consider collaborations. However, keep your message visible through the association. You can make funky and brave collaborations, but make sure you associate with brands that share your views.
- Consider rumors, but don’t respond to them. There have been press articles outlining the dark side of logo fame. Some claim that this heavy use might lead to fatigue for some such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Gucci. Numbers contradict them. According to Forbes, Louis Vuitton has $9.9 billion sales and is the 20th world’s most valuable brand.
- Take trends with a grain of salt. After Balenciaga fashion models wore a monogram on its fingertips, the idea became a trend. You can embrace trends if they are useful. Otherwise, you will make your own statement by not including them in your marketing campaigns. Refrain from releasing press releases on this matter unless it has negative implications.
- The logo is part of your website. It identifies with your brand, not your entire website. The website only includes the LV monogram in a corner and the name in another corner. Products also contain it without overcharging the website with colors and letters. Websites need to be friendly, simple and appealing on both mobile and desktop versions. Consider this aspect when designing your site.
Wrapping Up
You’re not just building a website with quality content and images. Your online shop is not just another e-commerce platform that might be successful and earn some revenue. The above case study shows that you can be successful to a wide audience even if you begin with a local niche. They can be visual supportive tools that make it recognizable and easy to remember, therefore powerful.
When you find the right themes, plugins and design for your website also consider brand elements. Pick your name attentively and consider a simple logo that expresses your message.
