Building a brand starts with a brand identity, a visual way of differentiating one company from others. Inspired by the success of global giants, some more than a century old, it seems even the smallest of companies today feel the need to create a 'logo'.
Over time, products and companies change and to keep the image contemporary, the brand must evolve as well. This e-Sight traces the evolution of some classic case studies and then reviews some of the do's and don'ts of modern graphic design practice.
To finish with a smile, we offer two highly awarded TVC's that are bound to entertain. Enjoy!
Apple
Apple is one of the biggest consumer electronics and software companies in the world, best known for products like Macintosh, iPod and iPhone. Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne setup Apple in 1976 to sell their hand-built computer Apple I. They had offered their product to HP first but were declined. HP could still be regretting that decision today.
The road to success wasn’t easy for Apple, and Wayne liquidated his share in the company for a mere $800. After the launch of Apple II in 1977, business started to look up for Apple and we all know what heights the company has reached since then. Apple II was successful mainly because it had coloured graphics. Great and simple design, has always been the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) for Apple, and their logo is no exception.
When Apple was started, the logo was a complicated picture of Isaac Newton sitting under a tree. This had been designed by Jobs and Wayne, with the inscription: “Newton … A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought … Alone.” Frankly, I don’t think it was just a coincidence that Apple had slow sales during this period.
However, Steve Jobs hired Rob Janoff to simplify the logo, which turned out to be a great idea. Rob created the ‘Rainbow Apple’ which was the logo for company till 1998. There are many rumours as to why Rob had chosen to create such a logo. One of them says that the Apple was a tribute to Newton (discovery of gravity from an Apple), and since the USP for Apple at that time was coloured graphics, it had the rainbow colours.
Another explanation exists that the bitten apple pays homage to the Mathematician Alan Turing, who committed suicide by eating an apple he had laced with cyanide. Turing is regarded as the father of computers. The rainbow colours of the logo are rumoured to be a reference to the rainbow flag, as homage to Turing’s homosexuality.
Janoff, however, said in an interview that though he was mindful of the 'byte/bite' pun (Apple’s slogan back then: “Byte into an Apple”), he designed the logo as such to “prevent the apple from looking like a cherry tomato.”
When Apple launched the new iMac in 1998, they changed their logo to a monochromatic apple logo, almost identical to the rainbow logo. Now, the Apple logo comes with nice gradient chrome silver design. It is one of the most recognized brand symbols in the world today, and the shape is what identifies the company more than the colour.
Shell
Back in 1900, when the company was started the logo was a realistic and simple shell which lies flat on the ground. This was a pectin or scallop shell, but today the company has a logo which is bold, colourful and much more simplistic.
The evolution of the logo began after 1915, when rendering enabled the company to reproduce its identity easily. This is visible in the 1930 logo for the company. When the company started a project in California, it added the red and yellow colours to the symbol. The colours help Shell to stand out. Additionally, these are the colours of Spain, where many Californian settlers were born, which might have helped the company to create an emotional bond with the people.
With the advent of internet and fax machines over the later years, it became necessary for the company to simplify their logo, which would prevent it from being distorted in small images. The 1971 logo designed by Raymond Loewy is very simple as compared to the earlier logos.
This has helped the company because this logo is more memorable and recognizable, accountable to the simplicity of the logo. The 1971 logo is still used by the company albeit with minor changes, but it has become so recognizable that it often appears without the company name now.
Nike
The Nike "Swoosh" is a design created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS). BRS needed a new brand for a new line of athletic footwear it was preparing to introduce in 1972.
In June 1971, Davidson presented a number of design options to Knight and other BRS executives, and they ultimately selected the mark now known globally as the Swoosh. Davidson submitted a bill for $35 for her work. (In 1983, Knight gave Davidson a gold Swoosh ring and an envelope filled with Nike stock to express his gratitude.)
The logo represents the wing of the Greek Goddess.The Nike logo is a classic case of a company gradually simplifying its corporate identity as its frame increases. The company's first logo appeared in 1971, when the word 'Nike', the Greek goddess of victory, was printed in orange over the outline of a checkmark, the sign of a positive mark. Used as a motif on sports shoes since the 1970s, this checkmark is now so recognizable that the company name itself has became superfluous.
The solid corporate logo design check was registered as a trademark in 1995. In more recent years the "JUST DO IT" slogan and logo design campaign communicated such a strong point of view to their target market that the meaning for the logo design symbol evolved into a battle cry and the way of life for an entire generation. Isn't it amazing how a small symbol we call a logo design can make a company into a huge success.
IBM
As you would observe from the logos above that IBM was earlier known as The International Time Recording Company (ITR), whose major products were mechanical time recorders, invented and patented by Willard L. Bundy in 1888. So in the earlier periods the logo of the company had ITR inscribed on it. Later in 1911, ITR was merged with the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, which is why you will see that both ITR and CTR are there in the 1911 logo.
In 1924, the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company adapted the name International Business Machines Corporation. The ornate, rococo letters that formed the 'CTR' logo were replaced by the words 'Business Machines' in more contemporary sans-serif type, and in a form intended to suggest a globe, girdled by the word 'International'.
In 1947, IBM decided to drop the globe from its logo, which was by then quite familiar amongst the people. The logo was not the only change in 1947; it was accompanied by a change in business from the punched-card tabulating business to computers.
In 1956, before Thomas J. Watson, Sr died he appointed Tom Watson, Jr. as the CEO. Tom Watson, Jr. decided to project the beginning of a new era in the company, for that he changed the company’s logo as well as the actions. Paul Rand designed the new logo which represented that the changes in the company would be subtle and will not disrupt the continuity. Also, the new logo looked more solid, grounded and balanced.
Another change in the logo was designed, again by Paul Rand, which had stripes instead of the solid font. It depicted ‘speed and dynamism’. Since, then the logo has more or less remained the same, and the design has been recognized and replicated all over the world.
Pepsi
Pepsi, one of the biggest soft drink companies today, was first started in the 1890's by Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist, born in Chinquapin, Duplin County, North Carolina, May 27, 1867. Initially known as 'Brad’s Drink' the name was quickly changed to Pepsi-Cola, which is visible in the first 1898 logo.
In the early years, Bradham made custom logos for the brand as it became more famous. In 1933, the company was bought by Loft, Inc. The company changed the bottle size from 6 to 12 oz. and came up with the ‘Refreshing and Healthful’ logo. However, the major breakthrough in the Pepsi logo design came in 1940’s. Walter Mack, the CEO of Pepsi came up with the idea of a new bottle design, with a crown having the Pepsi logo. The ‘Pepsi Globe’ emerged when USA was in WWII, and to support the country’s war efforts, Pepsi had a blue, red and white logo.
This logo became hugely popular, and went on to be the identifier for the company. As a result, in 1950 and 1962, this bottle cap with the swirling blue and red became prominent in the company logo. During the 1960’s when it became even more popular, the script was changed from the curly red, and the main attraction was on the bottle cap in the logo.
We see the first appearance of the Pepsi Globe instead of the bottle cap in 1973. The typeface was made smaller so as to fit in the globe. The Pepsi Globe was “boxed in”, with a red bar coming in from the left and a light-blue bar coming in from the right.
In 1991, the typeface was moved from inside the globe. The red bar was lengthened and the typeface came on the top of the globe. In 1998, the white background in the logo was replaced by the blue colour, which also resulted in dropping the red horizontal band. The globe now had 3D graphic and larger than earlier versions. It might be that since, Pepsi and the globe touch each other for the first time in the logo, the name ‘the Pepsi Globe’ was given to the logo.
After 1998, it seems that Pepsi had decided to give the globe more prominence than the script itself. So, the globe came on top of the script in 2003, and in their current logo they have done away with the script altogether. The current logo is now known as the Pepsi 'smile'.
Ford
Henry Ford used to work for Thomas Edison. He founded two companies before settling on Ford. His first company went bankrupt after just two years, and he left the second company after just one year. However, the second company became Cadillac later on. His third company, founded in 1902, was called Ford & Malcomson Ltd.
He was unable to pay the bills for parts in his third company, but some investors agreed to put money in the company, and it was renamed as Ford Motor Co. This is the company name in the first logo of 1903. The 1909 logo, which has a similar font as today’s logo was borrowed from Childe Harold Wills, who had made this font for his business card.
In 1912, the Ford logo was given a complete makeover, as compared to the earlier simplistic design. When a car was launched in 1927, called Model A, the famous blue oval was introduced in the logo. This was the shape and colour, on which all future Ford logos have been made.
The company has experimented with different shape going from ellipse to circle, and even a diamond like shape in 1957. The 1976 logo was essentially, the last major change in the symbol, and is very similar to their current logo. Finally, in 2003, the company released a new logo, which came to be known as “Centennial Blue Oval”.
Some Do's and Don'ts for redesigning a logo
Redesigning a logo can be a complex process. Company employees, customers, suppliers and the even the general public become very attached to a logo, and finding the right balance of the new and the old can be a virtual minefield. If designed and executed well it can bring 'new life' to a tired or dated brand image. Equally, if done poorly, a logo redesign can be seriously detrimental to a company’s future. It is advisable for a redesign, restyle or just a simple change to be best left to professionals. NrG has extensive experience with the development of corporate images and would be pleased to discuss your needs to evolve your brand. Here's a few considerations to include in your brief.
Do make it original.
The whole point of a logo redesign is for 'new emotion' to be associated with the organisation's brand. Adding elements seen elsewhere only means adding another company's stamp to your brand. The world doesn't need another swoosh.
Don’t stray from the general look and/or feel of the current corporate image.
When you change the colours, style, or visual goals of the company, that’s called rebranding – not redesigning a logo.
Do maintain familiar elements.
Many companies go through logo redesigns without anyone ever knowing. This is due to the fact that the redesign is sometimes kept within a subtle approach, a simple 'evolution' rather than 'revolution'.
Don’t try to emulate other logos that are 'more modern'.
Being contemporary is not necessarily synonymous with being modern. A company with heritage should resist the temptation to look trendy for the sake of it.
Do get involve in the process.
Let the graphic designer know what the main purpose behind the logo redesign is and stay involved in the process to achieve that goal. Don't get lost in the 'art' of it all.
Don’t think the logo can stand alone.
Keep in mind the logo will need to be incorporated into the web site, corporate collateral, promotional material, television ads, etc. The final solution will have to communicate accurately across a wide range of medium.
Do research the competition.
Look at others in your competitive field. The purpose of a brand image is to stand out, not blend in.
Don’t complicate the logo.
Adding superfluous small and frequently annoying extra details to the already existing logo will not make it look more professional, just more cluttered.
Do have your corporate brand guidelines document developed.
No matter where your newly developed logo may appear you want it to look as it was intended. Branding guidelines are an essential tool to ensure consistency throughout your brand's use. Your guidelines can outline everything from colour breakdowns for different medium to full-scale layout templates for web, signage to all the day-to-day documents you may use.
Do Trademark your brand. All too often companies spend up big on a brand image only to leave it exposed to others to rip it off. Go to the trouble to have your valuable asset protected.
Comcast - Fastest Fast!
Coca-Cola - The Heist
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