Wordmark


A wordmark or word mark is a distinct text-only typographic treatment of the name of a product, service, company, organization, or institution which is used for purposes of identification and branding. In many places, such as the United States and European Union, a wordmark may be registered as a trademark, making it a protected intellectual property. Unlike names and logos, trademarked wordmarks are generally not case-sensitive and are listed in uppercase by trademark registrars such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office, even if they are always cased in a certain way by the owner; this gives the trademark holder rights no matter how the wordmark is presented. Some examples are shown in the sidebar. In the United States, the legal term "word mark" refers only to the text, not to any graphical representation. In most cases, wordmarks cannot be copyrighted, as they do not reach the threshold of originality. Wordmarks and logos are the two most common types of brand marks. Wordmarks, by definition, always contain the name of the product or company, whereas a logo might be a textless image only. For example, the Coca-Cola and FedEx logos are stylized versions of those names, while the Starbucks logo contains no text. Wordmark logos are often confused with lettermark logos. Lettermark logos are made up of the initials of the brand name or business, while wordmarks contain the full name. Lettermarks are also text-only but they are shorter. Some examples of lettermark logos include: IBM, CNN, P&G, HBO, and LG logo. See also
Logo
Icon
Slogan
Trademark

Notes

References

Further reading

McWade, John. Before and After Graphics for Business. Peachpit Press: 2005. . White, Alexander W. The Elements of Graphic Design: Space, Unity, Page Architecture, and Type. Allworth: 2002. . Wheeler, Alina. Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Strong Brands. Wiley: 2006. . Brand management
Promotion and marketing communications
Typography