A Love Song for the Logo – Part I

Logos are the great communication devices that go far beyond the athletic swoosh or the golden arches. The policeman’s badge, the spilt Starbucks cup on the sidewalk, the blue star on the Dallas football helmet, the little blue “e” at the top of your computer monitor right now, and the faint little acronym in the bottom corner of your TV screen – they all communicate to us. All are symbols that tell us to stay back, to respect this authority figure, to trust that company, and to expect the very best from this very expensive SUV . All while no words are spoken.

Logos have been serving us long before we ever realized it. The field of advertising & graphic arts has been chosen as the lucky protector of the crown in today’s time. Has it always been this way? Will it always be this way? In the design world, logos have made tremendous strides and the Internet has generously lifted the logo to a higher notoriety, though at a tragically decreased cost or value. Logos have delved into the past to revisit failed attempts and revive historic triumphs. Fonts, colors, and shapes have come together and created thousands of careers and provided millions of opportunities for those of us striving to avoid manual labor.

Some logos have even led to salvation. It is well known that Christians made use of the Jesus fish symbol, or the Ichtus (ICHTHUS and a variety of other spellings), to symbolize Christianity as a masked communication device to identify one another during times of persecution. It is believed to have debuted in the 1st Century, predating the cross as a symbol of the Christian faith. St. Bernardine of Siena is the patron saint of advertising and public relations among, other causes and occupations. Appropriately included in the mix is graphic design. According to www.AmericanCatholic.org, St. Bernardine was a great communicator of the Holy Name of Jesus in the late 14th century and early 15th century. He would roam from region to region proclaiming Christ’s love, announcing his arrival and identifying himself with signage. (Some may argue he gave birth to the first billboard. I also argue that this may have been the first ministry logo that didn’t include a cross. Even in the 1400s, this designer avoided the clichés.) From Catholic.com we learn that it is believed that Bernardine introduced this signage custom in Volterra in 1424 whereby he would hold a large board ahead of him while preaching. On the board he painted the Gothic letters I.H.S., the sacred monogram – the first three letters of Jesus in Greek, among sun rays. This was more than announcing his presence. This was illustrating the tangible devotion to Jesus. And perhaps the first logo to use an acronym. (Can I get an Amen from UPS, IBM, AMEX, NBC, and NYU?) Then in Bologna, he introduced what I believe to be as the first impromptu freelance gig in Christian history. Bernardine helped a card-painter climb out of a gambling addiction and turn to the Lord, and persuaded him to use his talents for painting the boards. The painter then made a living by designing these tablets. Other accounts indicate that this card-painter was not the only one, but that our good saint may have made a habit out of pulling talent out of the depths of despair and into commercial arts. A career was launched, countless people became Christians, and the evolution of graphics in religion progressed.

Logo design may very well be my favorite of all. I enjoy the entire process, from the initial discussions to the final unveiling. Logos serve as both the starting point and the final period for businesses, groups, churches, ideas, and communication itself.

My satisfaction of this may be the idea of creating something to embody the vision of a company, the attitude of a movement, the future of an organization, or the personality of a business all in a mark or illustration that can never spell out everything we wish to say in words. There is a certain amount of fear that goes along with a logo design. Many artists cringe upon the task of a logo creation largely because the question easily arises – “Where do I start?” Others find it frustrating to see how the simplest of logos are often the most successful.
The silhouette of an apple – Apple.
The red and blue chevron – Chevron.
The heavy font of closely-spaced letters with just one off set – Dell.
Simply the Helvetica font – Bloomingdales, Target, Crate & Barrell, Jeep, Panasonic…

It is a little daunting to look at intricate details and full-depth illustrations and consider the time, talent, research and precision that went into it, only to then compare it with the 3M logo and think, “Genius! Simple, red genius!”

If you’ve never designed a logo or if you’ve never put much thought to what your design team does for you, I challenge anyone to spend twenty minutes and try to sketch out a logo for something you like. Maybe a brand of potato chips or a brand of clothing. Or recreate a logo for your favorite sports team or for your car. What other way would you design the Buick logo that is better than what they have now? Think about how you would start, what your goals are with the logo and how your audience would react when shown the logo for the first time. What if you were given the task to design a logo for a subject in school like science? Science alone encompasses plant life, biology, chemistry, physics, outer space, engineering and the basics of mass, volume and depth. How can all these things from 2nd grade science to doctorate-level neuroscience be summed up in one recognizable symbol, a few colors and a distinct font? Not easy.

Think of how that 3M logo could have gone in so many different directions. 3M is a mega brand that thrives in fields of packaging, technology, healthcare, safety, security, and office supplies. 3M began in Minnesota in 1902 and their first breakthrough was sandpaper after a failed attempt of mining a mineral deposit for grinding. Besides Scotchguard, Scotch Tape, and various dental products, we have 3M to thank for the Post-It Note. This is just a sample of their brilliance. At the time of 3M’s development of their logo, they had no idea they’d be making devices for hospitals, school supplies, and invitations to bar mitzvahs many decades into the future. They had to adapt to the change and their logo had to represent that change. And change again, and then in the 1970s they had to change yet again. This last logo has served quite well as it is still regarded as “simple and smart.” Just because it’s the number 3 and the letter M, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t identify their company, their future, their history and their customers accurately. It most certainly does.

To be a logo designer is to be an inventor. Instead of calculators and drill bits covering our kitchen tables and nightstands, we have different tools. Edison invented the phonograph for communication. Bell invented the telephone for communication. Al Gore invented the Internet for communication….and porn. Logos are invented for art, commerce, and for communication in its most silent form. Read below for Part II.

- Lance LaRue, Advertising & Creative Manager at Americom Marketing Ad Agency 2010