Books & Bards New Logo

The contemporary Books & Books logo reflects both a modern and classic literature brand identity. The creative concept, based on the history and customers of the company, accentuates the fine arts and classic literature.
Spotlighted is a modern portrait of a distinguished poet, perhaps the Bard of Avon himself, William Shakespeare as a young man, fully bearded, with a ruff?
No real evidence proves that Shakespeare ever commissioned a portrait. To Be or Not to Be.
This mid-16th century wood cut illustration effectively highlights the "Bards" side of the brand name, which is a registered trademark. The gold and black portrait illustration with sharp contrast pops.
The 2026 logo also is used effectively in black and white for a variety of brand materials and labeling.
The selected font is Adobe Caslon Pro, small caps. This mirrors the identifiable previous brand font used and is classic, clear, and easy-to-read. Even with a level of detail, the portrait logo stands out on social media platforms. The logo was pretested with social media groups and received favorable feedback.
While several potential concepts were considered, such as Wordmarks, monographs, and emblems, the fondness of a combination letter and mascot logo (poet) struck a positive emotional chord. Like other classic logos that reflect the Greek Gods, such as Medusa and Hermes, the new Books & Bards logo dares to combine a traditional, yet contemporary portrait with a classic serif typeface.