Type less Logos

Is it just us or are the big companies going type less in their branding?

I can remember many years ago back in college, sitting through a lecture run by some local, hipster looking, self proclaimed brand expert from Cambridgeshire and watching a projection of various logos that he had produced beamed onto a shabby white wall with an all consuming feeling of "unremarkable" and "conventional at best".

But the talk wasn't all bad, he did break down elements of a logo and how differently they can be perceived with just a small tweak. One example was the Nike logo with the type removed, quite a radical change in mind mind, especially back then but it still worked, it had a strong presence and everyone could identify the brand. Step forward to today and you can see well known brands are shedding any form of typography within their logo.

Is it simply because these established brands are so well known that they can streamline their identity now or is it more of a result of technology and the pace its evolving?

As we move from print culture and towards a more 'online digital image' of social media, photo sharing and dating apps will we see more recognisable companies follow suit? maybe for an increasingly diverse market place, the less language required, the better you can communicate.