Brandmarks Explained: How Simple Symbols Carry Big Meaning

A brandmark is often the smallest part of a brand system, and one of the most misunderstood.

People talk about logos.

They debate colour palettes.

They obsess over tone of voice.

But the brandmark?

That quiet symbol that sits on an app icon, a sign, a ticket, or a corner of a screen? That’s where meaning gets compressed.

At Wildish & Co., we think of a brandmark as storytelling distilled into its simplest form. Not decoration. A moment of recognition, and often, the very first emotional handshake with a brand.

This article breaks down what brandmarks really are, how they work, and why the best ones do far more than just “look nice”. We’ll also share examples from our own work, where brandmarks were designed to reassure, invite, hide clever meaning in plain sight, or move, quite literally, like music.

What is a brandmark?

A brandmark is a symbol or graphic element that represents a brand without relying solely on text.

A brandmark exists to do something very specific:

Shape how people think and feel when they first touch the brand.

Good brandmarks don’t explain everything.

They signal something.

Trust. Warmth. Confidence. Playfulness. Authority. Humanity.

And because they’re often the most reduced expression of a brand, they have to work harder than almost anything else.

👉 Here's our Head of Motion Design talking about why brandmarks matter

Brandmark vs logo vs wordmark

These terms get used interchangeably, so let’s clear the fog:

Logo
The overall identifier (often a combination of text and symbol)

Wordmark
Text-only logo (e.g. a brand name rendered typographically)

Brandmark
A symbolic or graphic mark that represents the brand

Brandmarks are especially important in:

• App icons
• Social avatars
• Wayfinding and signage
• Campaign graphics
• Small-format or motion contexts

They’re where brands often become recognisable at a glance.

Why brandmarks matter more than ever

In a world of shrinking attention and endless scroll, brandmarks do three quiet but critical jobs:

• They create instant recognition
• They carry emotional cues faster than words
• They allow brands to show up consistently across formats

When designed properly, a brandmark becomes a shortcut to the whole brand, not a summary, but a trigger.

Brandmarks in practice: real examples from our work

Let’s look at how this plays out in the real world.

Ding: using a brandmark to put people at ease

Ding is an app for booking trusted tradespeople, an industry that can feel daunting, opaque, and frankly a bit stressful.

So the brandmark couldn’t be cold or corporate. It needed to reassure.

We created Rufus, a friendly mascot who becomes a recurring brandmark across the Ding identity. He’s warm, familiar, and human, helping to lower the emotional barrier before a user even books a job.

This isn’t character design for fun.

It’s a brandmark doing emotional work.

👉 Read mroe about the thinking behind Ding's brandmark here

Spacemade: when the brandmark knows when to stay quiet

Spacemade manages workspaces for other brands, which means their own identity needs to support, not overshadow.

The solution was a clean, minimal wordmark, with a subtle doorway hidden in the negative space of the “S”. On its own, that S becomes a recognisable brandmark, quietly architectural, functional, and confident.

The mark doesn’t shout.

It belongs.

And crucially, it scales beautifully across signage, digital platforms, and physical spaces.

👉 Read more about the thinking behind the Spacemade brandmark here

Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra: making a brandmark feel like music

Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra needed a brandmark that respected heritage, without feeling static.

We reimagined their abbreviation using typographic forms that transform into fine, flowing lines, inspired by sheet music and string instruments.

The result is a mark that doesn’t just say music.

It moves like music.

This is a brandmark working beyond symbolism, it becomes a kinetic expression of sound, rhythm, and performance.

👉 Find out more about the thinking behind Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra case study here

Toilet Twinning: turning a humble symbol into something hopeful

Toilet Twinning tackles global poverty through a simple, powerful idea: every toilet twinned changes a life.

The brandmark integrates a toilet shape directly into the wordmark itself, transforming a humble, everyday symbol into something quietly hopeful.

The rough edges aren’t smoothed away. They echo the charity’s hands-on, grassroots spirit. Imperfect in the best way. Human. Real.

This is a brandmark doing what the best ones do: making meaning visible without over-explaining it.

👉 Read more about the thinking behind the Toilet Twinning brandmark here

What all strong brandmarks have in common

Despite serving very different brands, these brandmarks share a few core principles:

• They’re rooted in strategy, not trends
• They carry emotion, not just aesthetics
• They scale across formats and contexts
• They feel intentional, even when simple
• They earn recognition through repetition

A brandmark isn’t about cleverness for its own sake.

It’s about clarity, meaning, and restraint.

How brandmarks fit into a wider brand system

A brandmark should never live in isolation.

The best ones:

• Connect visually to typography and layout
• Evolve into graphic devices
• Work in motion as well as static
• Reinforce the tone of voice
• Support campaigns without being overused

This is why brandmarks work best when developed as part of a brand system, not bolted on at the end.

Final thought: brandmarks are small for a reason

A brandmark doesn’t need to shout.

It needs to stick.

When done properly, it becomes a quiet constant, showing up everywhere, doing its job without asking for attention.

That’s not minimalism.

That’s confidence.

Thinking about your own brandmark?

If you’re planning a rebrand, or wondering whether your current mark is doing enough heavy lifting, we’re always happy to help untangle that.

Drop us a line. We like small details with big jobs.