Symbolism in Logos

2011, Conspiracy  -   119 Comments
6.27
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Ratings: 6.27/10 from 84 users.

Symbolism in LogosDuring the 20th century, urban environments got taken over by corporate logos. Studies have reported that an average person is exposed to about a hundreds of logos a day.

Few people however ponder on the symbolic meaning of these marketing tools and their occult origins.

Think about where you encounter logos on an average day: they are on household items, on cars, on clothes, in tv ads, on billboards, on insignia, and all over sporting events.

Logos are one of the results of extensive studies (funded by the Rockefeller's "Chicago School") in cognitive sciences, psychology and biology.

Those studies constitute the core of "marketing", a heavily funded field which keeps its findings totally secret from the general public. Why are the findings secret?

The show begins with discussing the symbolism of two major corporations, Starbucks and Apple. What is really being said in logos?

This documentary was filmed in Bath and Bristol, England featuring special guests such as Michael Tsarion, Neil Hague, Ralph Ellis, Leo Rutherford, Neil Kramer, Dan Tatman and Peter Taylor. The crew also interviews a priest, university students, teachers and of course a couple random pub interviews.

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119 Comments / User Reviews

  1. @Geoffrey Grekin has the clearest observation of the docu, thank you. As for those indoctrinated individuals who have been brainwashed into dismissing anything that is one-sided. Many things which you lavish praise upon as being a balanced viewpoint, isn't at all. It is a pretense to fool those who have such indoctrination. Often the propagandist brings up an opposing viewpoint then readily dismisses it with very limited or no information, to make it seem like the opposition has been covered and dispensed with legitimately, when it hasn't at all. When a commenter does so it can be for the same reason ...or because they don't have all day to cover and explain every last side and detail. Same for the person making a documentary.

    Maybe I missed it but was surprised not to see more on the "XX" logo. Such as in Exxon and all the others companies with a double XX in it. I once heard a bit about how certain logos or symbols indicate common ownership or origins and agreements.

    If the symbols mean nothing at all, then why do some movie stars brand themselves with certain similar tattoos showing allegiance to the triangle and eye? Why does Shaquille Oneill the former basketball star proudly display his huge free mason ring? Then get several commercials not so long after joining, when not heard from for quite some time, seems like years, before joining?

    Personally the biggest impact I find upon myself of corporate logos is to stay away from them as much as possible. To me their products are either over priced or crap to pay for all the advertising they do. Case in point would be one of the most famous sports shoe makers. Early on they had fairly good products. Many years ago I stopped buying them because they changed significantly. No longer put in true arch support, used a narrower foot form, cheapo glue that would give way over time, cheap thread, i.e. quality went down the tubes and price went up because kids wanted them, apparently due to all the slick marketing with athletic "heroes".

    Why the bite out of the Apple logo if strictly Newtonian or an Apple Crate beginning? Just because the owner or president of a company tells you something ...does that mean it is true ...or just partially true? Clearly there is no symbolic allegiance to certain other corporate groups. And the symbol wouldn't mean anything to a kid who never heard of the story of adam and eve. However, it is much more memorable than an apple with no bite out of it... or a tree, which several companies use. Whatever the case, it seems like a clever marketing decision.

    I never realized it until seeing or listening to a years ago bit about sales psychology. It mentioned perfumes, colognes, etc. for males often have a phallic shape. I chuckled until I noticed the one in my cabinet. Seems silly really since had nothing to do with my purchase since after smelling several it was the only one I actually liked.

    The old adage, "sex sells" seems to be the modus operandi of many a marketer, even if it is wasted effort. I doubt Apple would admit that, especially to a class of students. "Well, this marketing guy told us sex sells so if you make the apple like the story of adam and eve, you may subconsciously attract more people to your product... and it will be more recognizable." I'm waiting for the time when they use sequentially flashing rainbow of colors to highlight their apple logo.

  2. This documentary is very one-sided. Why did they not consult any marketing textbooks or interview marketing scholars? In none of the literature of marketing and logo design is there any mention of the symbolism discussed here. Indeed corporations try to sell as much stuff as possible, but associating this with some conspiracy to use archaic symbolism is ludicrous.

  3. Sorry, I know the comment section says 'be cool' but this entire 'documentary' is nothing more than marginally informed, badly edited babbling.

  4. Say it with me people...Pareidolia.

  5. to get a better understanding on this subject take a look at all the products in your home. take inventory of all the logos your attracted to.
    you might have a collections of all those mentioned above or of all the same.

  6. Overall, very good. BUT there are some things that are incorrect. The bible NEVER tells the "forbidden" fruit is an apple. It only tells is a fruit. People like to assume so much.

  7. I love a good conspiracy story. Inevitably we stop learning at some point during the investigation and become true believers or pessimistic skeptics . Darwinism come to mind in this instance. Those who believe hold an almost cult like fervency regardless of any new information which may come their way. Even with evidence from a science like quantum physics, they hold tightly to their belief and develop visceral hatred for dissenting views. And visa versa those who believe in an intelligent design.
    These young people seem bound to find correlations with what they already hypothesize. This documentary is a perfect example of why civilizations are so slow to move forward into a more cohesive social structure. We want to believe in something, so we set about constructing faux evidence to make it so. Throughout history we have had to secretly produce a renaissance in order to bring us back from the brink of societal extinction. Given our technological pace, I believe it is about time for another one.

    1. "Those who believe have an almost cult like fervency"

      lol, i love it when people try making science out to be a religion...it shows how bad your grasp on the concept of both things is.

      Religion is Dogmatic, it requires blind faith without any incredulity.

      Wheras Science provides you with evidence and data in support for what it claims and doesn't care what you believe.

      I take it your idea of a scientific Renaissance involves religion retaking it's place of power over rational thinking?

    2. A true Renaissance requires us to realize that pulling the covers over our head will not keep the monster from getting us. To continue the age old fight between religion and science will not move us forward. Our infancy in science will not answer all the questions quite yet. Mystic beliefs are a window into our minds and hold treasures for learning.
      Don't be afraid. You will evolve a_no_n.

    3. he says whilst communicating digitally on an electronically operated computer, across the internet.

      Prayer didn't give us all of this, science did.

      Mystic beliefs are the fairy tales we told one another when we didn't have the tools to see what was actually happening.

      Don't be afraid...you can grow up Ramone.

    4. Hey.......if you want to see something greater than yourself at work in science ........look up the double slit experiment. It's a scientific experiment. a_no_n

    5. The founding fathers of Quantum Physics were humbled by the double slit experiment.

    6. Science understands the double slit experiment. Math has answered it. There is no mystery in the experiment. What the " founding fathers of Quantum Physics" were humcled by is irrelevant. Other that to allow others to stand on the shoulders of giants

      P,S it is sad you upvote your own comments

    7. I upvoted to get attention on the subject. I don't care what anybody thinks about it. And are you saying scientists have already figured out what consciousness is and where it comes from in that experiment? Because if your are, you are not even living in reality or you think you know something no one else does. A wave is collapsed by observation, where it does not collapse, without the conscious observation. Your own brain matter would be in a wave state if not for some conscious observation. Quantum Physics is not a bumper sticker. It does not matter what your philosophical opinion is. It can give you one, but it is not one. If you are a materialist, mechanist or what ever you want to tattoo on your intellect, that is fine. But don't try to tell me you have the ultimate answer here. Your last comment about my upvotes shows that sarcasm was your main intent. The real world, if you choose to explore it, is made from a diverse exploration of thought and concrete experimentation. Your rip their head off and excrement down their throat comment is for amateurs and trolls and shows your lack of study. Now write back to me like an adult and let's discuss this. Or not.......which I assume you will choose to make the other children here think you are cool.

    8. The double slit experiment only proves the quantum particle/wave duality. It shows that subatomic particles are neither classical particles or classical waves. And that's why they are studied by scientists to understand more.

      It's absolutely pointless to turn to religions to try to find an explanation as they don't do experiments to explain how the universe works. They assume they have the truth and that's it.

    9. You are right about not turning to religion. A study of the possibility of a higher intellect does not have to incorporate a religion. If I believe you are smarter than me, it should not necessarily be construed that religion is involved. You are just intellectually above my level. That's what I'm trying to get past here. Consciousness is an anomaly here and that seems to suggest something outside our understanding is occurring. Religion is a poor catalyst, but it does provide some interesting questions for science. Thanks for not devolving the conversation into name calling.

    10. I think you attribute an effect to consciousness where there isn't one. The double slit experiment shows an effect of the measurement on the results. It only shows the limitation of human understanding, not what the quantas are intrinsically. Attributing the incomprehensible behavior to some ultimate power is deism.

    11. True to some degree...and this is where the line is always drawn for a mechanistic universe as opposed to any other. One could say I overreach here but the same could be said for the mechanistic view. That .. it is an established truth,... is still in the lab for results as well. Of course I realize the safety science has built around itself by not committing to an absolute until proven. Unless you count Climate change or evolution. :) Both of those subjects are interesting to me but let's not stray from this discussion. Thank you again for an adult exchange. I welcome your thoughts. Also, I believe in deism. I think it is the only avenue you could take given the chaotic nature of the universe. If there is a god at all. :)

    12. I love the way you upvote your own comments...

    13. People have to stop this condescension of one another long enough to learn something a_no_n

    14. which would be fine if you were talking about learning something that isn't BS

    15. you state "Our infancy in science will not answer all the questions quite yet" i agree, but what answers has religion provided us? i am not talking about answers shoe horned into religion after the fact. but actual answers that religion provided.

  8. I found this very insightful. And according to Jobs, the 'apple', remember its not an apple just a symbol, was derived from his time working at an apple orchard. Imply, youthful determination, work ethic, blah, blah, blah. I believe that's the story put forward in his autobiography. And as for the 666, I use 666 in passwords and such, as I know it is a sense of taboo to Westerns. In Hinduism & Buddhism 6 means perfect and complete, too. So, to me, 666 is a symbol created to divert humans from pursuing perfection in their 3 fold lives. Perhaps the makers of this, in their attempt to break through symbolism, ultimately just show, they are just as trapped as they supposed we are. But good luck.

  9. While I do believe that it is true that people identify with certain symbols, (yin/yang, cross, etc) the idea that corporations incorporate symbols to help sell products is ludicrous. In my opinion, symbols are used soley for product recognition. If you are driving down the street, and you want a big mac, you will start scanning for the golden arch. Thus, the symbol does not sell the product, it only identifies a brand of a product that sold itself.
    What is true is that the origin and meaning of most symbols has been lost in translation over time. A swastika does not mean a nazi skinhead, or a fascist ideology, yet since it's use by the 3rd reich, no one dare use it now for fear of retribution, or having the wrong label attached. (misunderstanding) This not only diminishes the value of what a symbol was meant to represent, but exposes the ignorance of human simple mindedness!

  10. With so many billions of people who occupy this planet, why is it so difficult for one to believe that some of these notions, if not all can be true. These symbols in a sense are no different than the tatoos that people put on their bodies. If it's a swastika, it has an origin based on someones belief, and if it is plastered to my body, I must entertain that same belief. If it is a tattoo of the Cross, that symbol has origin and meaning, therefore it is something that I believe in and I wear proudly. I don't know the minds of those who stand behind any of the symbolism depicted in this documentary, and there are those who choose to believe in things at whim just because somebody said to them that something was true, then run the course of their lives believing a lie and finding out later in life what a fool they were when the truth hits them in the face. I think that those who uphold these symbols, whatever they may be, are intelligent men and (or) women and have investigated the meanings behind them, whether true or false. I would rather investigate than follow something that is not beneficial for me to believe in. There is no harm in doing so. With all that being said, I don't think that what is being iterated is all that far fetched.

  11. This film is ridiculous it borders comedy. Unfortunately, it just misses it. I love how they say that these symbols are "sub"conscious (a word neither Freud or Jung used) and tied deeply to people without them even knowing it. But somehow, certain people know about it and use it against everyone else. Isn't it possible, that if what they say is true, and the logos really are collective "sub"conscious images, that regular people like graphic designers might use them because they feel equally tied to them like everyone else.

    "Well they could make up new logos" Sure, but why bother when they have an image that speaks to their soul. Or whatever pseudo-psychology they spew about auras and energy. The people supposedly creating this logos are just people, humans like the rest of us, not mass evil doers.

    Whether or not you believe in all the crap they're selling about hijacking consciousness or whatever is up to you. But don't try to pass it off as legitimate journalism or science.

    This documentary was just a handful of already biased people discussing a topic they obviously believed fervently in. It has no objective evidence, or even a real analysis of anything. The logos are shown briefly and together in clumps for only a few seconds so you hardly have time to see them all. The rest of it, is hippies in a bar talking about the evil establishment. In conclusion, this is NOT a documentary.

    1. Umm, Jung had 3 writings that had 'subconscious' in their titles. I just spent a couple hours listening to one in audiobook format. I am lead to believe you are an honest individual, sincerely concerned about understanding truth & courageously conveying it. On that note, if I may be so bold, I suggest you give it a try. It can only empower you further, & entrench you commitment deeper within yourself. Man & His Symbols: Approaching the Subconscious (1964) was the one I listened to, but if your sincerity is strong enough, I sure you can find each one yourself, & possibly take you into, maybe one. Good luck.

  12. pub conversation is farcical. those guys put 2 + 2 together and got 666. utter rubbish

    1. yeah in Britain if you want to talk sense with someone the pub is the last place you'd look.

  13. Interesting idea, but the documentary itself could have been more interesting.

  14. i have a starbucks mug i stole from their shop and tbh untill it came on the screen i would have had no idea it had some chick all i could have told you is a green circle with starbucks coffee printed in plain text

  15. This documentary was really, really boring. The people who made this documentary called up Starbucks and Apple and asked questions about their respective logo. Wow! these doc makers are so daring.
    I remember sitting on a 7 hour flight to New York, and having to listen to a very boring Swedish man in the seat next to me. Unfortunately, the poor man thought that what he had to say was interesting. It most definitely wasn't. This documentary was on the same level.

    1. also after i typed my comment whilst the video was paused at 2:52 i read your comment and decided to give it a miss because something was telling me it was going to be boring and i dont just mean your comment

  16. is it possible that mermaids are just cool? or an apple with a bite out of it is just more memorable than a whole one?

    1. Sure, but that would beg the question "Why are mermaids just cool".

  17. So what does the Dodge logo mean?

  18. BOM BOM BOM!!!

    Consumers didn't realize there was an evil mermaid on Starucks logo!

    BOM BOM BOMMM!!!

    The Apple workers dont know where the logo derived from!!!

    OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOoOoooOoOOooO!

  19. Why are the marketing findings kept secret?

    Maybe because that if the public new the methods of complex marketing techniques that they would fall apart and stop working along with stop producing profits for the companies that have invested serious money to learn these secrets...

    And no they're not hidden from the general public but rather harder to find because, who in the public field could even care about complex marketing strategies.

    And why would you give these ingenious billion dollar marketing trade secrets free to the general public that would never even put the methods to good use... Instead of selling the findings to the multi-million dollar a year businesses that are willing to pay tons of money for the strategies

    And to show you a couple examples...

    Everyone knows that grocery stores spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year learning the what makes people buy the things they buy. And a lot of people know that these stores place certain items in certain places.

    This is one of the supposed "Secret" marketing strategies.

    Another big trade for these hidden marketing strategies come into play... Casino's which everyone knows that use marketing strategies in order to get you to drop as much money as possible.

    It's not that they're secret in any way which anybody with a marketing degree would agree on, it's just not popular subject matter.

  20. This doc moves from a faux analysis about a few logos to a bull***t session with a bunch of people who believe in magic. (ck?) This doc is not even trying to use intellectual tools for understanding symbolism: logic, reasoning, marxist anaylsis or even something called "semiotics" which is the "study of symbols." They don't even get it right when they talk about the work of Freud and Jung, which anyone who has written a term paper in a psychology class would have been able to do. This doc gets a D-

  21. omg we're all gonna die! They've learned to use logo's to make us into mindless robots!! And she's obviously learned how to use sounds to seduce our unnatural desires... ahhh!!!

  22. Interesting doc and funny at times. These "sinister Logos" are made by people called graphic designers, I am one of them. They doc creators should have interviewed a few logo creators to hear what they think about all this, would have been far more enlightening and definitely more mundane (probably why they didn't). I definitely agree there is indeed symbolism we are exposed to with not all together positive motives but the situation is a far cry from what is depicted here.

    Seriously entertaining and funny from a graphic designer's perspective and overly misleading for anyone who knows nothing about the identity and branding world.

    Advertising is a completely different matter I will admit.

  23. sorry, but this so called "docu" is a waste of time. there's no proof in what the makers claim. it's just their opinion and i don't agree at all.

  24. The narrator's whistling "S" sounds are super distracting and annoying.

  25. My previous comment was way too dismissive of a fairly interesting doc, it does point out that large organisations pilfer symbols; but what don't they do in order to maximise identity/profit.
    Sadly they ignored the megasymbol of the west. The one that stood for the way, the light, the truth, "the" book. Long before mass literacy the church used the cross very persuasively. In fact so persuasive it held back the development of humanity for centuries.

  26. While dissecting the bleeding obvious I discovered the heart isn't heart shaped, gutted.

  27. what garbage

  28. All this back and forth about logos without any understanding of logo design. Makers of this film have some interesting obsevations and some mental diarea but here are my two cents

    Good logo is

    1. instantly recognisable even when scaled to the size of a penny
    2. uses familiar shapes and/or relates to an idea/legend/symbol that prefereby has a positive association

    First rule is obligatory, second is optional but it makes sense as you get a head start on marketing making you easier to memorise.

    As for conspiracy look no further than advertising - it is not based on your needs but desires and fears manipulating you in to consumerism forever poisoning our planet with cr*p.

    For an in depth understanding I refer you to an excellent docu here

    A century of the self

    and a novel by Frederic Beigbeder called 99 francs

    1. " it is not based on your needs but desires and fears manipulating you in to consumerism forever poisoning our planet with cr*p."

      A statement that is prompted by a deep rooted mistrust of all human endeavours and a misunderstanding of why there is such a thing as an economy.

      Humanity has always had to work to survive. The earliest hunter gatherer woke to spend his day in an unending search for food, water and shelter. It wasn't easy. Life was short and uncertain and most humans did not live past childhood. People started to make better weapons and tools to ensure survival and to make life easier. They didn't need them. They had survived thus far without them but it sure made life easier to have them. Our modern economy started from these humble beginnings. There would not be seven billion people alive today if it were not for the type of economy we have. You need to work to survive. It has always been that way. When you work you make a product. If you can't exchange this product for the things you need then you go hungry, thirsty or homeless.

      Try it. Stop working in our economy. Try a subsistence life style. You won't like it and it may even shorten your life.

    2. I have a fairly good understanding of what enables our society to work. I agree with most of what you have said. Specialisation is key. Everybody else has to do their part so you can do yours. I am no exception.

      However that still does not change that majority of the population are good little consumers - which is good for certain individuals in the short run and is bad for all of us in the long run. I despise design obsolescence and marketing that produces unnecessary waste by manipulation. For a glimpse in to the problem watch Manufactured landscapes (on SeeUat Videos). We could do without most of this and still maintain the same standard or actually improve it as we would put less strain on the environment. Live longer and healthier.

      One can still work and be successful in this economy by making products or providing a service with a far lighter footprint.

      Thread lightly on this planet Jack. It is my home too.

  29. They are getting really fast at pulling stuff these days....

  30. one word about this doc, DUMB!

    1. Perhaps you'd like to elaborate. Why is it dumb?

  31. BORING

  32. Yawn! I have wasted 64 minutes 23 seconds of my life which I will never get back. Do not make the same mistake. A totally absurd and in some respects bizarre attempt at connecting corporations with the occult/esoteric. This “documentary” is appropriate for the feeble minded. Those who can make extremely abstract connections between the mundane and the weird. And for those who have the imagination to see an all empowering agenda hidden behind a veil of capitalist corporation greed.

  33. OK so again Mr. Michael Tsarion master of the Half truths and he is PEDOPHILE so beware of this mind twisters.

    About apple it is clear that they meant Newton as we live in Newtonian society. Starbucks is just a Siren so what! Yes they are evil but what else it is just about marine.

    Symbols do influence the people but not as much as you think.

    As someone mention it here before the first half is fun to watch and the rest is just bla bla bla. I can make so many conclusions and hypothesis about any picture/logo as you want.

    1. About that siren, what kind of message would that be to the thirsty and fatigued shopper anyway? let us seduce you with sweet hot drinks and then dash your brains out with our dry biscotti! Not very tempting. I always thought the apple logo was supposed to be a bite of The Big Apple. Maybe to literal ;)

    2. the mermaid logo is meant to evoke images of the days of "wooden ships and iron men". that particular example was chosen because here in the states we have umpteen million registered trademarks with mermaids. on everything from tuna cans to disney toys. none of them, however have the bifurcated tail of the starbucks logo. that unique quality insured no lawsuits for "stealing our brand". oh, and for the record, mermaids are not sirens. both are mythological critters that seduce sailors, but they are not interchangeable. the coffee/biscotti seduction and dashing however, is a most brilliant simile. the apple referred to newton originally, (our brain in a box will supplement your squishy grey organic one, and thus make you the equal of this brilliant thinker) though i think the latter "bitten apple" was supposed to bring to mind the faulty idea of "biting the fruit of the tree of knowledge", the fault being it leaves off the "of good and evil" part, but, hey, it's marketing, it's not like historical accuracy (or literary for that matter) is of any real import in that line of work.

  34. when you debate with the obviously irrational, the best you can hope for is a headache and irritated digestion. food for thought

  35. Wow these hippies suck!

  36. @Vlatko &SeeUat Videosilms
    I just reread my previous comment & although I was posting in a sarcastic frame of mind, I was sincere as to my thanks for another film to watch. I am afraid my thanks came across as sarcastic as well.

    That was furthest from my intention. I very much enjoy this site & eagerly anticipate your new offerings, so I offer my thanks sincerely. I did not want the closing of my earlier comment to be confused as entirely tongue in cheek like the rest of my opinion about logos etal.

    1. From me personally, don't worry about it!
      No harm, no foul! lol

  37. So add agencies are part of some great sinister conspiracy now? Hire someone to develop a corporate logo for your company & you better make sure they aren't intent on swallowing your mind/soul (if you have one) first! My goodness people, is there nothing more important than spending countless hours & money making a self satisfied film/doc about non existent issues? I have hired graphic artists & add agencies to design logos for business concerns of mine & always the first thing that I ask: "Is my new logo based on a conspiracy of ancient ideals & symbols that will brainwash the masses that I conduct business with?" Really?..

    Someone's point of view on reality so I guess that makes this valid some how. With that said; thank you SeeUat Videosilms for another tidbit of entertainment & some thing to fill my night with.

    Cheers all & beware the nefarious logos!

  38. what a load! The APPLE name and stuff came to be because they made the first one using an old apple crate. Jobs and Wozmiac told us face to face at a college class.

  39. This film is utterly ridiculous.

  40. I couldn't stand to watch another min of this stupid film... The fleeting bits of real information were pleasing, but then these people have to push the issue and create their own desired meaning behind the symbols to fit every conspiracy out there. How is it so hard to believe that adam and eve weren't an influence, and why MUST a mermaid mean that starbucks is trying to manipulate you. Its all masons and illumaniti!! Hell im a disinfo agent for saying otherwise right!?! omg i'm illumaniti agent subconsciously affected by everything around me! I will agree the fascist symbol used within u.s.a govt buildings is odd though. As for tsarion... he goes with that ancient aliens guy on the "history" channel.... *faceplam*

    1. @Bob,

      You don't need to buy what those conspiracy guys are saying, as i've said before the whole documentary doesn't advocate what these individuals are espousing, merely giving many different views the proverbial 'soap-box' to voice their wild opinions
      For example, with Apple they explain the official account how it had nothing to do with the story of 'Adam and even" and the forbidden fruit. They merely suggest that the story 'may' have been subconsciously influenced by the story.
      But they don't say it is.

      Finally, if you browse to the later part of the documentary, specifically 57 min in, a completely different view on logo's that takes a completely different approach to some of the earlier views on the matter without ridicule or bias.

      Bothers me how some of you see a part that you don't agree with or is completely counter-intuitive to your train of thought that you judge the whole documentary as crap because you don't agree with one of the many views espoused.

  41. Starbucks is not a very big deal in Canada. If you want a coffee you go to "Tim Horton". They're everywhere. It was founded by Tim Horton who was a professional hockey player and a personal hero when I was a boy. Their logo is a signature of Tim Horton over what appears to be a plastic coffee cup lid. There's not a person in Canada that doesn't recognize this logo. I wonder how the makers of this doc would use their convoluted logic to connect this coffee chain through this seemingly harmless logo to the mysterious and sinister elite. I tried and got as far as the hockey stick being some kind of phallic symbol. Unfortunately, many younger Canadians never heard of Tim Horton the hockey player so the hockey stick idea may not work on them. I'm not as good at it as they are, I guess.

    Besides, as much as I idolized Tim Horton when I was ten years old, I can't stand the coffee. So much for using an appealing logo.

    1. That's if you don't want a good coffee. lol
      1i

    2. Tragic Ironic story about Tim Horton's
      He used to be afraid to fly, so he would drive to his season games by car, until he got that accident and died.

      ..P.s.
      The logo Tim Horton's has become synonymous with Canada, Hockey etc, its actually become a patriotic symbol. you know Stephen Harper cutting the cord to a new Tim's and drink a cup of java, The Tim's in Khandhar to motivate the troops, The Tim's that prides itself on being so Canadian...
      You know the same one owned by a US company.

    3. You did it! You didn't use the logo but you managed to tie Tim Hortons to the industrial military complex. Well done!

      Or should that read the military industrial complex? Don't matter. You did good.

    4. A symbol isn't just a logo, you do realize this don't you?

  42. Interesting, overall not a bad documentary

    Alot ofthe comments posted suggest a sad, depressing and weak documentary.
    But i beg to differ
    For one there is no central thesis, there is a bunch of random ideas and speculation.
    This ranges from theories of powerful shamans controlling the minds of consciousness outside the individual, to merely a bunch of corporate elite in the know giving each-other the 'wink-wink, nudge nudge'.
    I thought this documentary strongest feature was their versatility to portray many ideas without forcing us in any one direction.

    Furthermore, if you skim away much of the fat, and wild theories there is a common motif.
    That is that Corporate Logo's, (or many other logo) have a common symbolism that goes beyond mere coincidence. I personally feel they are used to subconsciousness connect to emotional feelings associated with a brand that are embedded within our lower mind.

    For example, most people will associate;

    Sun = happiness
    Eye = Unease (being watched)
    intertwined Circles = Unions (connection Sex)
    Piscis = Life (birth & Sex) [female]
    Column = forceful strength virility [male]
    Pyramid = Power and stability
    Arches = security
    Etc...

    Because these elements interact with humans in a very real way often without words and are deeply connected within our evolutionary process making it is easy to bring them to the surface.
    For example, We experience these emotions when we feel the rays of the sun (renewal), or feel we are being watch (predatory instinct), or experience sexual desire (copulation).
    Therefor symbols can subconsciously associate with these baser instincts and emotions of humans. Corporations and institutions merely recognize this power and ingeniously utilize symbol in order to manipulate the baser emotional attitude of their clientele by embed desired emotional reactions towards a brand or company, etc..

    And it works, there is defiantly power in this.

  43. This is wonderful. You can't go wrong with learning things from Michael Tsarion. He is the best researcher, teacher, writer, and speaker there is. The other guys are pretty good as well.

    1. Michael Tsarion?

      Only if you believe in new age mumbo-jumbo!

      en.metapedia.org/wiki/Michael_Tsarion

      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Sgcrooks/Michael_Tsarion

    2. You clearly do not know what you are talking about. You've probably never read all of his books or listened to all of his work as I have. Just because you have your mind in a closed casket, doesn't mean others do. I certainly do not believe in the fairy-tales that our religious institutions have dreamed up to control people's minds from birth.

      Quote: "The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind."
      Khalil Gibran

    3. Tsarion believes that aliens intervened in the development of man millions of years ago. He also mentions a planet called Tiamet that existed between Earth and Mars that was mistakenly destroyed by aliens. Yeah. Tsarion is a man I would admire, quote and defend (lol). That an adult would actually believe this stuff is incredible. You are incredible.

  44. hogwash

  45. The amount of Idiocy is staggering. To make the leap of past information being, somehow, transfered to someone today is beyond all reason. I wouldn't put it past a corp to transfer meaning in a logo, but to attach anything older than 20 years is a waste of time. How an average person today is supposed to "Get" some sort of evil message when your average person barely knows history from 1945 is a leap of pure fantasy.
    To prove my point, read some of the comments on youtube. This doc, if you can call it that, is nothing more than a group of people trying to confirm their own cleverness. Problem is they are not clever. They undoubtedly have no idea how ignorant they are.

    1. Thanks man, I feel better now that I read what you said, ...I just had a peek in the comments section in YouTube (quote: OMG this video needs 6 billion views) and was just going to write a huge rage oration on the damn stupidity of this pretentious third-rate infomercial (about apple) and its annoying overly-mysterious-about-shit-we-have-no-but-the-faintest-idea tone. but now i'm calm again

  46. wow, where to start on this one?? i guess a good place would be the fact i clicked the link because my mind saw "symbolism in legos" and i was hoping for little plastic brick sculptures. i think the folks who produced this effort dont have much of a clue. starbucks mermaid is fairly obviously chosen for its relatively unique image, at least as far as corporate logos go. it also evokes the nautical, which is a huge part of seattle history. the name is the first mate from "moby dick" afterall. as they pointed out themselves, the apple corp first associated their product with newton, and continued the subtle association with the spectrum apple logo. the ad copy showing a price of "$666.66" may seem sinister to those of such a mindset, but i saw "2/3 of a thousand bucks", as even the competing kit computers of the time were a grand. the sun actually evokes "reliability, dependability" (and the "shell" logo is a clamshell, not a rising sun). once we hit the "gramaphone bar" (they were very careful to subtly include THAT logo) it degenerated from hokey to ridiculous. vaginal hats and flowing gowns?? basically, if you want to give up an hour of your life for listening to unconvincing new age/ pop-psych supposition, watch this doc. the mercedes "gunsight/propeller" logo has that inverted "y" to symbolize the 3 areas their motors found popularity, land, sea, and air. those "piscean arches" in the cathedral are called "vaulting", and are more about support of heavy loads by a column, than some vaginal/ zodiacal symbology. i did take note of their avoidance of mentioning the exact same shape is used for minarets in mosques (fear of fatwah?). all in all, lots of supposition and conjecture from folks id expect to see in a drum circle at stonehenge, but no meat at all. some cool skateboard decks in that one coffee shop though

    1. exactly ...! wish there came a good documentary once in a while.

  47. Weak documentary. The part about the Apple logo is quite ridiculous.

  48. Anyone with a minimum of rational thinking would dismiss most, if not all, that is depicted in this weak, sad and laughable documentary.

  49. interesting in the beginning but then halfway through it's just a group of people talking about subconscious vaginas, mysticism and mind rape at a pub or a coffee shop.

  50. wow. ahahaha. amazing! judgmental. dumb. sincerely sad documentary. essentially a stealth pro christianity argument, seeking correlation to determine causation in pretty much all of modern culture, demonizing ancient cultures and niche esoteric thinking in favor of their own. oh my.

    honestly: people can't be scientists and are so jealous they believe in this s***.

    Brands are simple: the bottom line is what matters, and companies just try to stand out against a crowded market. meaning is elaborated overtime.

  51. Kind of entertaining and sometimes interesting but really all I can think about now are vagina hats ;)

    1. How about nipple tuques?
      1i
      oups!

    2. I want a nipple tuque......

    3. they come in pair.
      1i

    4. Ah, the less is more style of dressing, I like it ;)
      Edit, what about todger socks?