Check out this map of the United States of America:
Do you see anything that you recognize? This map has a different picture or word in each of the 50 states that make up the United States. Can you tell what information these pictures/words are representing? These are all business logos. Each state in this map is represented with the business that is most commonly associated with that state.
The majority of Americans will be familiar with most of these businesses, products and their logos, but I imagine if you haven’t spent much time in America, many of these logos will be unfamiliar to you. So, lets take a looks at some of them and learn a little more about what businesses are associated with what states in America.
Maine & L.L. Bean
L.L. Bean is an outdoor clothing and equipment company that is named for the man who started the company. L.L. Bean sells everything from sweaters to canoes. The company is proud to be from Maine where there are a lot of outdoor activities to do.
Washington & Starbucks
Starbucks opened its first coffee shop in Seattle, Washington in 1971. Now you can find Starbucks coffee shops in every city (and many towns) in the United States of America, as well as around the world. Starbucks is well known for its delicious coffee and in the United States Starbucks is a common place for people to go to meet with friends or do work in the café.
California & Apple
Apple computers got their start in California and have helped build the “Silicon Valley” outside of San Francisco, where you can find many technology companies. Apple started making computers in the late 1970’s, but now they make many different types of products like iPhones and iPads, which are used around the world.
Michigan & GM
General Motors (GM) is the largest car company in America. GM has its home in Detroit, Michigan and for this reason Detroit is known as “The motor city.” Cars and the state of Michigan go hand in hand in the minds of many Americans.
Pennsylvania & Hershey’s Chocolate
The Hershey’s Company, founded in 1894, is the largest chocolate company in America. This company’s headquarters is in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where there is not only a huge chocolate factory, but also a Hershey’s-themed amusement park. The simple Hershey’s chocolate bar can be found in most stores that sell food in the USA, but this company is also famous for its Hershey’s Kisses (small chocolates) and chocolate sauce.
Louisiana & Tabasco Sauce
Tabasco Sauce is a hot sauce added to food to make it spicier. Tabasco Sauce is made from only three ingredients: Tabasco peppers, water, and vinegar. When this company first started making sauce in 1868 all the peppers used in the sauces were grown on an island off the coast of Louisiana. Now Tabasco Sauce is so popular the peppers are grown around the USA and Central America to keep up with demand.
Tennessee & FedEx
FedEx is an international mailing and shipping company that has its headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee and was founded in Arkansas in 1973. Even though this is an American company you are likely to see this symbol around the world on boxes, letters, and the airplanes that transport mail.
Oklahoma & Sonic
There are over 3,000 Sonic Drive-in restaurants in the United States, but the first one ever was established in the state of Oklahoma. Sonic fast-food restaurants, serve fast food, like hamburgers, French fries and milkshakes, but these restaurants are a little different from many other fast-food restaurants. These restaurants have maintained the old-fashion drive-up fast-food restaurant style of the 1940s and 50s in the USA. At a Sonic restaurant you drive up to a parking spot, order your food through an intercom, and have your food brought to you in your car, where you eat.
Do you know or want to know what any of these other logos are? Feel free to add a comment or question below.
