The Golden Apple is a fantasy-adventure animated series, based on Balkan legends and folklore. Two successful crowdfunding campaigns led to the creation of the short film Legend of the First Kuker Warrior (2016) and The Golden Apple Series pilot episode (2019). The pilot episode won the Bulgarian National Television’s competition for animated films, receiving their co-production. Before these major breakthroughs, the Ralev.com team was commissioned to create the main logo for the animation.
Scope
Logo Design
Category
Cinema Industry
Team
3 members
Timeframe
1 month
“In a magical world, people and spirits are at the edge of war. Тhe peace lies in the hands of four teenagers, who set out on an epic adventure to find the Golden Apple – a mythical artifact, which has the power to fulfill wishes.”
“In a magical world, people and spirits are at the edge of war. Тhe peace lies in the hands of four teenagers, who set out on an epic adventure to find the Golden Apple – a mythical artifact, which has the power to fulfill wishes.”
Moodboard
Our main inspiration were the graphics from the actual animation. But in order to create a logo that is both adventurous and inspired by Balkan folklore, we immersed ourselves deeper into Balkan traditions. A major reference were some of the many “protective ward” symbols at the core of Bulgarian fairytales about the fight against archaic evil powers. These were often used in embroidery, on chains, and belt buckles.
All reference images are property of their respectful owners and are shown here for research purposes only.
Moodboard
Our main inspiration were the graphics from the actual animation. But in order to create a logo that is both adventurous and inspired by Balkan folklore, we immersed ourselves deeper into Balkan traditions. A major reference were some of the many “protective ward” symbols at the core of Bulgarian fairytales about the fight against archaic evil powers. These were often used in embroidery, on chains, and belt buckles.
All reference images are property of their respectful owners and are shown here for research purposes only.
Logo Concept
Tradition and originality both have a strong presence within the Golden Apple logo. The symbol depicts traditional Bulgarian belt buckles, which are used as jewelry in women’s folk costumes.
Their traditional shape and color resemble a golden apple. In folklore, these ornaments serve as protection from evil forces, which also emphasizes the genre of the animation. More observant viewers can additionally find a third symbol in the center of the sign that is the basis of any epic story – a heart.
Logo Concept
Tradition and originality both have a strong presence within the Golden Apple logo. The symbol depicts traditional Bulgarian belt buckles, which are used as jewelry in women’s folk costumes. Their traditional shape and color resemble a golden apple. In folklore, these ornaments serve as protection from evil forces. This also emphasizes the genre of the animation. More observant viewers can additionally find a third symbol that is the basis of any epic story – a heart.
Logo Adaptation & Compositions
We created several logo compositions, suitable for different formats. There is also a version in Bulgarian and in English.
Logo Adaptation & Compositions
We created several logo compositions, suitable for different formats. There is also a version in Bulgarian and in English.
Color Palette
As for the main brand color, gold was the logical, semantic conclusion of the Golden Apple logo. It is combined with a brown for the logotype, which references the fantasy genre and can also be associated with tree bark.
Color Palette
As for the main brand color, gold was the logical, semantic conclusion of the Golden Apple logo. It is combined with a brown for the logotype, which references the fantasy genre and can also be associated with tree bark.
Alternate Concepts
Alternate Logo Concepts
The Embroidery Logo
A folk motif, which can nowadays be seen in Bulgarian ethnographic museums, is revived through this version of the Golden Apple logo. The embroidery (called “shevitza”) has a rich symbolism – a few of the things it stands for are family, health, and luck. It was used as a motif on rugs, carpets, traditional Bulgarian costumes, as a “spell” to fulfill a wish. The “shevitza” in the logo consists of geometric shapes in the shape of an apple.
The Logotype Logo
Another approach we tried is to create a logo with colourful letters that provoke the imagination. The letters “G” and “O” form the shape of an apple – the central magic fruit in the story.
One of the advantages of this logo is that it can be written horizontally without compromising its readability. The apple can also be used as a standalone symbol to reference the animation.
The Bell Logo
The chan is a traditional Bulgarian Bell with a conical shape, cast from metal. We decided to use it as an authentic Bulgarian symbol, which was an integral part of kuker costumes in the past. Its shape in the logo resembles an apple, which makes it a recognizable sign in the spirit of Bulgarian tradition. At the same time, it is a reference to the folk symbolism of the golden apple.
