The bigger a company’s sales, the more likely they are to put a mammal in their logo.
April 15, 2026
Original Paper
Wildlife icon use reflects value in global consumer markets
SSRN · 6509801
The Takeaway
We think brand logos are just artistic choices. However, a study of the Forbes Global 2000 reveals a systematic link between high-status wealth and the use of nature symbols. As companies grow to target mass markets, they consistently shift toward using mammals—creatures we biologically 'trust' more than reptiles or insects. This hidden economic pattern suggests that 'corporate value' is mirrored in how we exploit the symbolic power of the animal kingdom. Your choice of a brand might be driven by a primal, evolutionary response to the animal on the box.
From the abstract
Wildlife and nature icon use is a prominent feature of contemporary consumer culture, yet its relationship to measurable forms of social and economic value remains unquantified. Here, we test whether icon use is associated with brand value, operationalised using annual sales, within global brand systems. We analyse icon use across all 2,000 brands in the Forbes' Global 2000. We show a significant positive relationship between sales and icon use: brands with higher sales are systematically more l