Logo Design History-IBM

IBM Logo

The 8-bar blue IBM logo is one of the world’s most recognizable logo, which is more than just a signature to the company’s Ads or an image to embrace its products and service packs.

In almost the 100 years of the company’s existence, the IBM logo has been changed and improved many times. Over the years, the company has used a series of IBM logos on varied products and services, to promote immediate recognition of the brand throughout the world.

-1924

The company was incorporated in New York in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (C-T-R). In 1924, the expansion of C-T-R’s activities made the company’s old name too restricted, thus, C-T-R’s name was formally changed to International Business Machines Corporation, or IBM, adapting the globe version of IBM logo.

This logo used more modern wording of “Business Machines” in Sans- Serif font, and was given a globe shape girded by the word “International” to suggest the company’s world wide expansion.

However, this original globe shape logo failed to accomplish the friendly and caring image of the company as it was faceless, bureaucratic and cold.

-1947

In order to reinforce the user friendly attribute of the company, thus the company changed its IBM logo to the newly adapted logotype. This logo simplified the letters to “IBM” in a typeface called Beton Bold.

-1956

In 1956, IBM renewed the new chief Executive. In steps to exemplify the new management and technological era, the company endured subtle changes in its IBM logo.

The new logo was created by the famous graphic designer Paul Rand. That IBM logo was replaced by another typeface “City medium”, boasting a more solid, grounded and balance look.

Effective? Why?

IBM is recognized as the powerhouse of high-quality computer products and service. For customers, this logo is a promise that symbolizes trust, value, quality, innovating and advanced technology. In a world of integrated IT systems, the IBM logo reflects an image of reassuring, reliability and quality of the brand and its mechanics. Thereby, IBM logo reinforces the strength of IBM in the industry.

Initially, the company adopted a globe version for IBM logo. Through the years, it was redesigned and improved several times. When globe version of IBM failed, the company employed a friendly and simple image (logotype only) for the logo design.

In the renovated emblem, the letters “IBM” were inscribed in a bold and impression typeface. After some years, this “IBM” logo was again revamped but the alphabets were featured in the same manner.

Logo Design History-Starbucks

-Meaningful image

The original Starbucks logo, designed in 1971, was followed the 15th century Norse woodcut style. The image of a mythical is two-tailed mermaid siren which is from Greek mythology. She was an alluring and irresistible female symbol. The siren's objective was a temptation that fascinates seagoing mariner with a powerful enticing song.

The symbolism of the mermaid represents the seductive quality of the coffee itself and signifies Starbucks similarly has irresistible temptation for its customers with giving special Starbucks experience.

-Simple only

Since the second version of logo, the mermaid had simplified with flowing string. Turning to the third revision, the logo displayed the image of the mermaid with a close-up view. Her navel is no longer visible and her tails on both sides are mostly obscured.

Simplicity makes a logo design easily recognizable, modern and memorable. Good logos feature something meaningful, without being “overdrawn.”

The new Starbucks logo drops the "Starbucks" and the "Coffee" from logo, and turning its symbolic mermaid into its well-known green color. Obviously, Starbucks logo becomes more simple than it have ever been.

Logo changing is not only the ambition of being power corporate identity but also expresses the new ideal that Starbucks does not offer coffee only, but a variety of products. That is the main reason why its discards the text “Coffee”.

Although brand identity is displayed by different aspects of company, the new Starbucks logo still emblems core brand identity and spirit. The logo conveys that Starbucks experience is romantic temptation by mermaid image using, offering well service by green color and providing a rich kind of products by dropping the text from logo. Changing to simple and modern logo is also a metaphor of being a high quality coffee seller.

Over the last thirty five years, the logo has undergone several significant changes, while still remaining the original theme.