For avid animation fans, the Aardman logo is a truly iconic emblem. More than just a simple wordmark, this brand label is a symbol of nostalgia, fun and entertainment for many. However, when we look back at Aardman logo history, we can see the design went through a number of changes before it evolved into the symbol we know today.
Otherwise known as Aardman Animations, Aardman is one of the world’s best-known animation studios, best-known for producing iconic films and shows with stop motion and clay.
The company produced some of the most beloved characters in media history, from Wallace and Gromit to Shaun the Sheep. It’s also responsible for films like Flushed Away, and Chicken Run.
The Aardman star logo, effectively highlighting the lighthearted, playful, and compassionate nature of the company, has become a crucial part of the organization’s visual identity over the years.
Today, we’re going to be exploring where this iconic emblem came from, and how it has evolved into the design film lovers are familiar with today.
Where does the name Aardman come from? An introduction
Before we explore Aardman logo history, let’s learn a little more about the animation brand, and its unique origins. Aardman Animations is a British animation studio, based in Bristol.
Originally, the company was founded as a low-budget project in 1972, by David Sproxton and Peter Lord. The pair wanted to explore their dream of producing animated motion pictures, using unique media.
The name “Aardman” was inspired one of the original works of the company. When Aardman first began, the studio created animated sequences for the BBC series created for deaf children in the UK, “Vision On”. The superman-style character in the series was known as “Aardman”.
The team spent significant time experimenting with stop motion and clay components in their work, which led to the development of one of the group’s most famous characters, Morph.
Around the same time, Aardman used the same technologies to create a number of brand mascots for company commercials, such as the “Douglas” butter man in commercials for Lurpak butter.
Over the years, Aardman animation has worked with a number of companies, producing everything from the Wallace and Gromit series to “Creature Comforts” and various DreamWorks productions.
Today, Aardman remains a self-owned enterprise, still influenced heavily by the founders, Peter Lord and David Sproxton. However, it owns a number of different divisions, ranging from Aardman International, to Aardman Digital, Broadcast, Commercials, and Features.
Aardman logo history: The evolving emblem
Since launching in 1972, Aardman has experimented with a few versions of its iconic logo. However, in most cases, the company’s emblem has featured the same elements: a five-pointed star symbol, and the name of the brand.
The most recent design introduced in Aardman logo history was created in 2022, based on the previous well-known logo from 1998.
1989
The first emblem to appear in Aardman logo history is a design many people are still familiar with to this day. The banner featured a monochrome composition, of a detailed emblem, featuring a telescope, with three five-pointed stars extending from it.
Beneath the image of a telescope, which has been tilted on its side to convey fun and movement, we see the Aardman wordmark.
The name of the company is depicted in a simple sans-serif font, with plenty of texture around the edges of the lines, adding to the brand’s unique personality.
Underneath this nameplate, the word “animation” is presented in a similar, but more refined sans-serif font. The “animations” word has been extended, with plenty of white space between the letters.
1998
Aardman made its first official update to its logo design only 9 years after launching. The redesign simplified the emblem, and added a burst of color. The “animations” element was removed, alongside the detailed drawing of the telescope.
All that remains is the “Aardman” wordmark, and a single five-pointed star, which appears just above the “A” in the title.
The raw edges on both the star and the characters for the letters in the Aardman name give the overall design a sense of motion, making it look as though the components are vibrating with life. The red and white color palette of the new emblem highlights the passion and vivacity of the company.
2022
Decades after creating its new simplified logo, Aardman updated its visual identity for a third time. Here, the core elements of the emblem remain the same. The five pointed star still appears above the A in the wordmark, though it’s much simpler and features softened edges and points.
The Aardman wordmark, now presented in all uppercase letters, features a soft, sans-serif font, with more refined lines and edges. There’s significantly more room between the letters in this design, giving it a greater sense of balance.
Additionally, the color palette has shifted to a gentle shade of pink, on a white background, demonstrating youth and compassion.
The Aardman animations logo: Colors and fonts
Throughout Aardman logo history, the animations company has made a handful of changes to its visual identity, aiming to showcase its unique personality, and separate itself from the competitors in its space.
While today’s Aardman animations logo is a lot simpler than the original emblem, it still has a significant impact on its audience. The playful color palette highlights the youthful focus of the brand, while the gentle sans-serif letters make the company appear friendly and warm.
The five-pointed star, a common component throughout Aardman’s logo history, demonstrates the company’s commitment to excellence, and the television and film landscape.
The rounded points on the star give the brand a sociable and cordial appearance. If you want to take a closer look at the Aardman animations logo, you can find some useful resources here:
What color is the Aardman logo?
The first set of Aardman logo colors introduced by the brand were relatively simplistic. Like many professional brands at the time, the company stuck with a basic monochromatic color palette, of white, black, and grey.
However, over time, the Aardman logo color palette evolved, introducing new, brighter shades to highlight the company’s unique personality.
Today, the Aardman animations logo features a pink design on a white background. The exact shade is a warm tone of deep coral pink, though the official hex codes for the design haven’t been shared by the brand. A similar hex color code would be: #D94169.
What font does the Aardman logo use?
Similar to the Aardman color palette, the font chosen by the company has undergone some changes over the years. While Aardman has consistently used a blocky, sans-serif typeface for its emblem, the design has grown increasingly more refined over the years.
The Aardman logo font today is similar to Franklin Gothic, a popular grotesque style typeface.
A star of the screen: The Aardman logo
Though the Aardman logo today is much simpler than it once was many years ago, it still does a fantastic job of highlighting the unique personality of the animations company. Today, the Aardman logo is a symbol of friendliness, youthful joy, and creativity.
The five-point star logo immediately reminds us of the stage and screen, while also showcasing the company’s commitment to excellence.
This powerful and eye-catching logo uses the perfect combination of bold font to demonstrate confidence, and unique colors to separate the brand from other competitors in the media space.
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