How LO can you GOs?

I had a hard time finding logos that were "bad" in the design sense and not amusingly inappropriate accidents. I chose these two, which are a little boring and/or confusing to me, but I have nothing to share that's aesthetically or morally offensive.

When Bell Atlantic morphed into Verizon, I just didn't get their logo (or their new name). I have only just found out that it's a "portmanteau" of veritas (truth) and horizon. Is it too grandiose for a communications company? Maybe not, but it still sounds more like an investment firm or an insurance provider to me. My main qualm is the red check mark graphic: I have never understood really why it's there. It must have some significance . . . can someone enlighten me?

The USDA Organic logo has always bothered me a little, as well. I'll admit, I just noticed the pale diagonal lines for the first time, and they are a nice agrarian touch and give the logo some depth. But . . . still! It's so blah! I don't like the shade of green they chose, and everything about the design is very institutional. Of course, you could argue for the appropriateness of that observation (it is the USDA after all) and say that it's a perfectly serviceable and practical governmental logo. Still, I always thinks it looks out of place on whatever beautifully packaged Whole Foods product it gets stamped on.

Indeed, I am a complete sucker for good looking packaging. Case in point: Skullcandy. Do their headphones display superior quality? No. I've gone through three pairs of "smokin' buds" and two pairs of "full metal jackets" in the past two years. Are they cost efficient? For me, yes, because I get them at wholesale prices through my job; for the rest of you suckers not so much. So what makes Skullcandy so awesome? Everything looks so pretty! All their various headphones are as much a fashion accessory as they are an audio accessory. Fantastic colors, always. Plus, I love little "skully" . . . they always manage to emboss him on the tiniest sets of earbuds. They usually put a sticker of "skully" (my name for him, not trademarked)  in the packaging, and then the company invites you to place said sticker someplace inventive, photograph it, and then send it in to their website. That's right, they have their own consumers do the campaigning. Nice! Oh Skully-candy . . . your product may not be reliable but I do love the way you look.

Finally, one of the most recognizable logos of our generation: Google. It just occurred to me that the colors might represent the marrying print media and digital media (CMY and RGB), and further research confirms this as a possibility. It would have been cool, then, if they had actually used Cyan and Magenta, no? Lets try it (since I don't have the proper tools handy) using paint!

Yeah! My way is totally better! Kidding. I hope I didn't just break a ton of copyright laws. But, hey, I shouldn't have to worry about it, right? The beauty of the Google logo is that it's probably the most altered logo in the history of logos. How many times have you pulled up the site and seen something cute and holiday-related in place of the norm? I think they sometimes even hold contests for kids to re-design it for them. Basically, the logo is in a constant state of flux but the basic principles stay the same. It's the US Constitution of logos. And that's not hyperbolic at all.