Sunday, May 17, 2009

overheard at the manor

At the manor this weekend, we were talking about some funny stories
relating to store logos. My personal favorite is the time my youngest
son, at about four years of age, saying,

"Eew! I just hate that 'chicken guy'!"

"But, why, honey?"

"Because he has such a BIG head and such a LITTLE body!"





My sister says since she was a little girl, she always thought
the Sherwin Williams paint logo looked like a turkey! (Maybe wearing
a paint can on his head?) I'll have to admit, it is an odd logo. To me,
the red paint congers an image of blood pouring over and dripping
from the earth. And why does it look like Africa and Europe are at the
bottom of the globe?





My youngest son's girlfriend, soon after she learned to read,
thought this grocery store chain was called "Kay-Roger". Isn't that
the cutest? (She still is, by the way.)





So, bloggies, do you have silly takes or thoughts on famous logos?

47 comments:

  1. I like the big head on a little body but I liked the chicken guy even better. Nice post, Willow.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Those are all funny, but I especially love the "Chicken Guy!"

    ReplyDelete
  3. I never thought of the Colonel that way! Leave it to a kid!
    I remember thinking Elmer ( the bull on the glue) and Daisy (the Borden cow) were married.

    I thought the same thing about Sherwin Williams.

    And I used to think the Great Bear Service station bear logo looked sad instead of laughing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the Sonic Drive Through commercial and logos.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Willow, I often wonder about logos...
    On our arrival in Australia, my brother joked to my children that the Chinese chicken meal they were eating was 'honey cat'. For years afterwards, they were convinced that KFC was Kentucky Fried Cat, so it wasn't from China, but America...
    Good job they got their wisdom teeth!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The KFC colonel is too funny, never noticed that before.
    (Made the berry pie for a family gathering this weekend, was a big hit, still need to post in on my blog, thanks)

    ReplyDelete
  7. This isn't a major corporate brand or logo but when my son was in third grade he happened to notice something about the tire company we passed on the way to school. The name of the company was Ray Dial's Tire Company. My son said "isn't it funny that the company name is Radial?" Strange, but I had driven past that place for years and never noticed the humor in the name. Just goes to show how we don't always have an eye that sees.

    After this post, the Sherwin williams logo will never be seen in the same way!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The McDonald's arches are just ugly. And one would think the Bank of America could come up with something better, especially with all the tax payer's money they have.

    On the other hand, your banner/logo rocks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Not much for logos stick out in my mind. But some of the ad jingles! Hoo boy! Where to start? And in the Sherwim Williams Paint one, looks like the earth is tilted waaaay off its axis. That is Europa and Africa. Funny how I never noticed that before. And yes, to concur with a few others; great bloggo header!

    ReplyDelete
  10. For me, it was the "Chick-fil-A" stores. Dense person that I am, the first time I saw that and read it outloud, I thought--"why the heck did they name it THAT? What does it mean? Makes no sense to me." (I was reading it "Chick-fil-UH." Not "A.") Even now, it still bothers me every time I see it. LOL

    And yeah--that Sherwin Williams logo wouldn't have passed muster if I was queen. I'm with Betsy on that one.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The KFC guy (spot on look alike) lives in my hometown. He wears the typical old southern white linen suit with string tie ALL THE TIME. It's still creepy to run into him in the grocery store. I didn't know till a few years ago that he actually gets paid to make appearances for KFC.

    Sometimes I just want to grab his walking cane and poke him till he admits to owning some normal clothing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Was it U-Haul that used to have the slogan "Adventure in Moving?"

    My husband and I, after some not-so-good experiences when moving from state to state, decided that adventure was probably the very last thing we wanted when moving.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very funny! Kids say what they think don't they?
    When my grandson Kohl was about 4, he saw a Kohl's Store going up and told me: " nana did you know they named a store after me"?LOL

    ~ Carol ~

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ah Willow, you made me laugh out loud...as usual.

    ReplyDelete
  15. all funny stories! it is fun to hear what people see in something like a logo and once they've told you, that's all you can see as well.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I just get the Mamwich song stuck in my head. ALL the bleeding time!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Willow - I think you need to explore this topic some more - it is ripe with possibilities.

    ReplyDelete
  18. cute, kids see and say some pretty funny stuff. at a loss right this second for any logos, be back in a bit.

    ReplyDelete
  19. My son used to call Harlan Sanders Mr. Kentucky.

    I've never noticed that with the tie before - now it's all I can see.

    When I was a kid it seemed the Sherwin Williams logo was a lot less clear. I though it was a turtle.

    ReplyDelete
  20. The ``little body'' quote is hilarious! I've never thought of it that way before!

    ReplyDelete
  21. this is a little off the topic, but i have to admit (and i posted it one time) the talking stain (representing Tide) just blew me away over and over again and again...i still laugh til i ache in the side at that one---if you haven't seen it:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2cs8gnb42A

    PLEASE Look.

    Your son (and daughter-in-law) all did what kids should do: imagine. They have such a way to make us see things we never would otherwise...great post!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Fun post--signed, Someone who thinks the Cracker Barrel sign is really "Chicken in a Basket"...

    ReplyDelete
  23. Don't have any good logo stories, but when my son was little he used to call the restaurant Claim Jumper, Clam Jupiter. He must have gotten his slight dyslexia from my husband who for the longest time called Chick-Fil-A, Chick-A-Fil. Oh well, what are ya gonna do?

    ReplyDelete
  24. your son's 'chicken guy' story is hysterical! I won't be able to look at the Colonel again without seeing the little body!

    ReplyDelete
  25. The Chicken Guy is a classic! I'll never be able to view that add in the same way again! Once again you have made me laugh! And I love your new header as well. But I love all your headers!

    ReplyDelete
  26. That KFC anecdote made me and my youngest laugh out loud! Never seen him in that light.

    I always thought Sherwin Williams' logo was kind of off-putting (never used that paint either - I am more the Benjamin Moor kind of girl).

    One of my daughers lerned to read by looking at store signs and asking about the letters. Her pre-Kindergarten teachers asked her where in the world she had learned to read, her answer was "at Safeway's" - she was four years old. The teacher then admonished me not to "push" my little one to learn to read too early. I am laughing about that one.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Come to think of it, your son was right. It does look like the colonel has a small body and a big head. Ahhh, to be a child again! Many thanks.

    Greetings from London.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I wonder how many saw the body under the goatee? In their lifetime. I know I didn't until today. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hello Willow!yes I do think too that the second logo is really strange and reminds of bklood covering Earth.Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  30. How funny! I had never thought of the "chicken guy's" little body, but oh how obvious now! I do love kids' fresh perspectives on things :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. The big head on the little body is hilarious! I never saw it that way before but now? I'll never it any other way. Ah the colonel! If only he knew.

    The whole world is a Rorshach blob, isn't it? Open to interpretation, I mean.

    ReplyDelete
  32. My three year old daughter insisted that we go to Party's for her birthday. I had no idea what she meant until she pointed at it one day. "There's the Party's, Mommy! With a pwayland and a merwy go wound!"
    Oh, Hardee's-great idea for a birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  33. I thought the same thing about Chick-fil-A as Sue (in the comments). I still think it's dumb.

    When my brother was a little boy, he though BP stood for Big you-know-what. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. Boys will be boys I guess. I never pass one without smiling.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I'll never look at Kroger the same again! Too cute...really...too cute

    ReplyDelete
  35. There used to be a neon replication of the Sherman Williams logo on top of a building in downtown Louisville which they have since taken down. I loved that sign. I never thought of a turkey until I read your post....and it does!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Fun post .. even more fun comments

    ReplyDelete
  37. Kids say the darndest things! :)

    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  38. I just love the one that's almost a triangle, with a big red "S" set on yellow... "Superman", the one and only!! What a logo, what a guy!!!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Wonderful observation of the K.F.C. logo. I will never see him in the same way again.

    ReplyDelete
  40. i am lovin' the pic of you that 'mary' took.

    ReplyDelete
  41. I can never again look at the Fed Ex logo without seeing the arrow first thing. I never saw it before... now I fixate on it.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I laughed out loud reading about the KFC man! & of course the K-Roger story! ;) Hope you had a good weekend! I am sure I will see you sometime this week-- I'll bring over some Graters! :)

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hi Hannah! I just had to include
    the K-Roger story.

    Yum! Graters! Okay!!! :D

    ReplyDelete
  44. I love this post! I followed you back here from Bee's book post.

    When I was a kid, I was certain that the UPS truck delivered graham crackers because it was brown and the graham cracker box was brown.

    ReplyDelete
  45. LOL. I'm with you on the paint thing. When I first glanced at it I thought it was some kind of anti-war or anti... something-bad.

    It definitely doesn't make me want to go paint anything. More like run out and join a cause of some sort. Which, I guess can be a good thing but probably doesn't help Sherwin-Williams at all. :)

    ReplyDelete

Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)