|
|
|
LOGO
DESIGN AND CORPORATE IDENTITY
The History
of Logo Design and Corporate Identity |
|
|
|
One of the best logo design begins in England, in the 1800's. Marcus Samuel, a curio
dealer in London started selling shell-covered boxes
to children and tourists. As his Shell Shop prospered
he took on new merchandise of various kinds, such as
jewels, kerosene and oil. By 1830 his company
went world-wide and consolidated as the Shell
Transport and Trading Company in 1897. Due to his earlier specialty, the company adopted the simple
drawing of a seashell as its trademark, and has since
become the world's best known logo design.
Prudential Financial Inc, is a perfect example of a corporation using one of the most effective trademarks ever
conceived. Their logo consists of a rock, specifically the Rock of Gibraltar, which has been famed throughout history as a symbol of strength. The Rock achieved fame from being impregnable
to sieges when, through 1779-1783, the Spaniards failed to recapture this land from the British. This known symbol of strength, in 1896, was adopted as Prudential Financial Inc's logo, and as the symbol tells the story better than words, it
remains as one of the most affluential trademarks.
Another enduring logo design from the 1800's is the
original script GE. It appeared sometime
in the 1890s, possibly as a decorative element for
the merchandise of General Electric Company. This mark was eventually adopted and evolved
into the General Electric trademark and corporate identity: a name
which has survived to this day.
In our current times, logos have taken new meaning: our free enterprise society has made logos and trademarks seemly more prominent than national
flags. You
are likely to find hundreds of logos and trademarks
in the privacy of your own home, without even realizing it, and be exposed to ten
of thousands of these signs and symbols on your way
to work if you live in a cosmopolitan city. We have found ourselves in a business-oriented society, which embodies the
commercial reputation of products and services, encourages
the production of quality products, and enables consumers
to facilitate purchasing decisions.
The competition in the marketplace is fierce. There
are nearly two million registered trademarks in
the United States alone, and over a hundred thousand
new trademarks being registered every year. With a
deluge of new trademarks annually pouring into the
already vast pool of registered trademarks,
virtually every form of business needs to be well
identified. Developing a clear and positive visual
identity is essentially the cornerstone for a new
company to establish itself in the market place. Equally true, is that
when an established company evolves and business solutions
change along with new demands of the time, the need
for a revamped distinctive identity that can continue
to reflect and communicate with the audience is a
vital part of the company's business strategy.
The two most common constituents of corporate identity
are a name and a mark. First and foremost, a company's
name is the key factor in creating a company presence.
After the content of the name, the most crucial aspect
in an identity development is the form of the company's
visual identifier -- be it a literal signature, typography,
or wholly based on the graphic symbol alone, or combining
logotype, graphic symbol together for greater recognizability.
The symbol-only is generally an ultimate choice, but it can be more difficult to associate
successfully to a company's identity, and requires
extensive time and money to promote. Combination logo
designs are cost effective because they can increase
psycho-emotional value and appeals to a wide variety
of audience more effectively. Our own observation
reveals that contemporary corporate identity design
is exceedingly leaning toward this trend.
Have questions about us or our services?
Please contact us at 514.447.4873
or by e-mail: support@aboutlogodesign.com |
|
|
|
|