When you think of branding for heating and air conditioning companies, what do you picture? There are probably a few design elements which immediately come to mind, such as the colors red and blue. Some other things you may associate with HVAC companies are graphic representations of hot and cold, such as flames, gusts of wind or snowflakes. This style of logo has become the standard for most companies in the HVAC  industry. One of the biggest reasons is that they are easy. These logos are not only simple and easy for a designer to create, but they’re also easy for the viewer to comprehend. Being so literal with the hot/cold icons means there will never be confusion as to what the company does.

While simplicity is often a very good thing and your logo should be recognizable, heating and air conditioning companies have generally found themselves in a design rut. The logos all look so similar, no one even bothers to give them a second glance. The logos using flames and snowflakes and rotating red and blue arrows have completely saturated the industry, to the point it would be really hard to create anything new using these elements.

With Top Shelf Comfort, we decided to do something a little different. Formerly Top Shelf Heating and Air Conditioning, they decided to change their company name to something that strays a bit from the standard format of most companies. They also told us right off the bat they wanted to stand out. When asked what words best describe their company, they chose words like high-quality service and top-of-the-line products. We knew we didn’t want to use imagery that would allow them to get lost in the sea of generic HVAC logos. Since their previous logo included a crown, we decided to stick with that. Not only is it out of the ordinary for an HVAC company, but it really represents the high standard of service they want to be known for.

We created a modern, simplified version of the crown and placed it on a rounded square window, which symbolizes fresh air. It’s always important to find a good balance between being familiar to your audience and standing out from your competitors, and Top Shelf Comfort has positioned itself right in the middle. They’re now conveying the strengths of their brand in a way that is easy to understand, without recycling the same old design themes we’ve all grown tired of.