Cyberpunk, Neo Noir, and tropical styles were big in the 80s. Let's take a look at some awesome retro 1980s logo designs that were influenced by pop culture and music.
The 80s feeling in logo design was inspired by Cyberpunk, the Memphis movement, and Neon Noir. In this article, we take a look at the 1980s design style, fonts, and 80s logos. There will also be some awesome examples of 80s style logos and inspiration. You'll also find an awesome option for an 80s logo creator.
If you're looking for awesome 1980s logos or 80s neon logo fonts, be sure to check out Envato Elements. For just a small monthly fee, you can have access to high-quality assets that can elevate your projects. If you're in a hurry, fret no more. Placeit is an 80s logo generator with some of the best styles, so check it out!
1980s Logo Designs
The 1980s were the era of crazy patterns and big hairstyles. The graphic design of the 80s can't be overlooked. Fashion and design made their way into pop culture, and this era was famous for bold graphics, bright colors, and a lot of geometric shapes.
The Memphis movement emerged from Italy with postmodern design styles. It influenced everything design-related, from furniture to ceramics and graphics. It was a fresh approach to design which blended postmodern styles and 1950s Art Deco. Another important feature of the 1980s design style was the love for everything sci-fi. The type of digital retro we find today was a fresh look in the 1980s. Pixelated fonts and neon-looking lines were prominent in 1980s logos.
The design styles that were starting in the 1970s continued to evolve in the 1980s. Design became more popular and affordable, and more people had access to software and started editing and designing logos on their own. Logos from the 1980s use mainly primary colors, with high contrast and sharp lines. Retro 1980s logo design was influenced by Cyberpunk, Neon Noir, and Tropical Miami. These styles featured mainly script fonts, high contrast, and hyper-stylized aesthetics.
CNN
The CNN logo is a great example of sharp lines and simplicity from the 1980s. The logo had a fast turnaround of about 48 hours and was designed by Anthony Guy Bost. The logo resembles cables, and it gave the channel a strong and lasting identity. We could say that this is an elevated and simplified version of the neon lights style.
MTV
The MTV logo is an iconic 80s retro logo that features elements seen in graffiti art. This was to tap into the youth culture of that decade. The prominence of the M showed its focus on music, and TV was stylised as a handwritten font. This specific 1980s logo lacked a specific color scheme—instead, the logo was used in a variety of colors to stay diverse and fit with the different music styles and audiences.
Miami Vice
Neo Noir and Art Deco were the inspiration for this retro 80s logo design. The Memphis style, which was inspired by Art Deco, influenced the use of the typeface. The colors, highly contrasting magenta and aquamarine, are iconic among 80s retro logos. In this case, the graphic looks almost like an 80s neon logo because of its brightness.
Microsoft
Microsoft's 1980s logo design was nicknamed "Pac Man" because of the small opening on the O. The font choice was Helvetica in italics, and the only feature was the small space between the O and the S. While the font emerged many years before the conception of this logo, the 1980s logo design still looks sharp and concise.
NBC
NBC's 80s style logo evolved into a newer version of the famous peacock, which they had a few years earlier. This time, the peacock featured fewer feathers to symbolize the different divisions of the network. The logo incorporated primary and secondary colors only. The font was a customized version of Futura, a nod to Art Deco since the font was designed in the late 20s.
IKEA
IKEA's retro 80s logo design is instantly recognizable today. Its blue and yellow colour scheme reflects the company’s Swedish origins, and the blocky, high-impact lettering is ideal for maximum visibility on the store’s signage.
1980s Logo Design Inspiration From Envato Elements
Customizable 1980s Gym Logo (AI, EPS, JPG, PNG, PSD)
This 80s style logo resembles the one from Miami Vice. The Memphis style, which was inspired by Art Deco, was iconic for 1980s logos. The style featured Art Deco fonts like this one, with a high contrast between thick and thin strokes.
A Most Excellent 1980s Logo Template (AI, EPS, JPG, PNG, PSD)
Here’s another postmodern style that has Miami 80s logo vibes. This template features the right colors and fonts that you can still find in Miami buildings today. The mix of script and tall sans serifs was normal, and the use of multiple elements, especially geometric figures, is quite eye-catching.
Tickerbit Retro Pixel Font (OTF, TTF, WOFF)
Pixelated fonts were inspired by the technological advances in 80s branding. The imperfect look of bitmap was a synonym for digital in the 80s. Then, sharp images didn't exist on computer screens. This font is perfect if you're trying to evoke an 80s feeling in logo design.
Retrolight (OTF, TTF, WOFF)
This 80s neon logo fits right in that decade. The colors are bright and contrasting. The font has a touch of Art Deco from the late 1920s, but the neon effect is stylized for a retro 80s logo design. The small stars are also an iconic element of 80s logos that added a touch of futuristic feeling.
Miami (PSD, JPG, PDF)
This Miami 80s retro logo template lends any design that hot Miami night feeling. Eighties logos that feature a combination of serif/sans serif plus a script take you one step closer to the Neo Noir style. Those types of posters featured dark backgrounds, neon colors or contrasting colors, and at least one script font.
Arcadia (OTF, TTF, WOFF)
Arcadia is one of those fonts that resemble old-style arcade games. This font would be great for a 1980s logo design that also wants to resemble some logos from 1980s bands. The font is boxy, almost bitmap-like, but also features sharp lines close to the ones you'd find in rock bands.
Strippy (OTF, TTF, WOFF)
If you're looking for something simpler, Strippy is a font that would be a great legible option for an 80s-style logo. You'd find something like this in editorial design or logos that didn't want to fall into pop culture.
Cyberpunk Text Effect (PSD, ASL, PDF)
The cyperpunk style was introduced by famous sci-fi films like Tron. From there, it went to launch the vaporwave style. This style of logo often features handwritten fonts with lots of energy and stylized with chrome effects. A Photoshop effect makes it easier to create a chrome style for 80s feeling logo design.
Last Dance Font (OTF, TTF, WOFF)
A retro 80s logo design isn't complete without a strong script font. This brush-style hand-drawn brush font was always present in combination with a sans serif font. 1980s logos were iconic for mixing different font styles and having a typically colored shadow.
Nemphis (OTF, TTF, WOFF)
Many 80s style logos featured elements from the Memphis style. Geometric elements that acted more as adornments rather than being functional were sprinkled all around many logos. This was great to create an 80s feeling logo design that stood out against the rest.
New Machines Font (OTF)
If you're looking for something more normal but still with an 80s feeling of logo design, this modern sans serif is great. An 80s logo with sharp corners and bold and heavy text can make an eye-catching graphic. Such is the case of the MTV or Microsoft logos that feature sans serif fonts so beautifully and masterfully.
That's It!
In this article, you learned all about 1980s logo design and the styles, graphics, and trends that characterized that era. I also showed you some real 1980s branding that emerged during this time, including logos that were still used until a few years ago with small reworks. You also discovered some assets from Envato Elements, with great fonts and add-ons to create your own 80s style logo.
If you're looking for awesome 80s retro logos or 80s branding, be sure to check out Envato Elements for high-quality assets. If you don't have design experience, Placeit has an 80s logo generator where you can create logos easily, so check out this 80s logo creator!
