A mini-summary of a study suggests that viewing logos may trigger all sorts of thoughts:

“Every brand comes with a set of associations,” explains study co-author Gavan Fitzsimons, a professor of psychology and marketing at Duke University. “When we’re exposed to logos, those associations fire automatically, activating our motivational systems and leading us to behave in ways that are consistent with the brand image”

And Psychology Today tries to helpfully (perhaps?) point out ways we can use logos in our work lives:

What can brand logos do for you? A few (untested) suggestions: They could…

• Motivate you.

  Ugh, you’re slogging up to your fifth-floor walk-up after a long day. Just glance down at the North Face logo on your sleeve. To the summit!

• Start fights.

  Want to liven things up at the office? Don a WWF SmackDown! cap and get ready for people to rumble with you.

• Help you find stuff.

  Where did you put your car keys? Glance at the Google logo and the search is on!

I tend to avoid buying anything with logos. They just seem to trigger sensations of being highly annoyed.