Gmail Logo Design: History, Brand, Evolution, And More

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Gmail Logo

One of the most recognized brands in the world, the iconic Gmail logo is clean and simple, yet powerfully memorable. Just like a person’s fingerprints uniquely identifies and defines them, so does the logo for a company. Gmail is no different.

Google took a fresh approach to email and its innovations have fundamentally changed what people expect from their email service. Gmail was built on the concept that people should never have to delete emails, and they should always be able to find the messages they want. It drastically reduced inbox clutter. As a result, Gmail remains one of the most popular web-based email services today.

When it burst onto the scene, it quickly became a formidable competitor to AOL, Yahoo, and Hotmail. Since then, Google’s signature email product has far surpassed those of competitors and is one of the most favored consumer email services available.

The Development Of Gmail

Google mail logo

​Image from Wikimedia Commons

​Some find it hard to believe that Gmail initially began as a “side project” for a Google engineer, Paul Buchheit. He considered it a side project because Google required engineers to spend 20% of their time – or one day a week – working on projects they have a special interest in and are unrelated to their day jobs.

The inspiration for developing Gmail came from a user who complained about the poor quality of email services available at the time. She wanted an easier solution for filing and retrieving her email messages and felt she was wasting too much time trying to just organize her email. “If a Google user has a problem with email, so do we,” said Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google.

So, Buchheit began working on Gmail in 2001. He developed the first version within a day with the goal of producing an email service that was more efficient, intuitive, and useful. Originally, the service was used within the company and by the time it was released there were 12 people within Google working on it. It remained in beta before being officially launched in 2004.

Gmail accounts were such a hot commodity when it was first introduced that users needed to receive invitations to acquire an account. It started as a free, search-based webmail service, it remains so today.

​The Gmail Brand

​When Gmail was launched, there were several unique features which made it different from other webmail services. These features ultimately led to its continued success today.

Organizes Conversations Into Threads

Gmail thread

​Image from ​greenbot

Gmail eliminated the need to file messages into folders. It automatically organizes individual emails into meaningful “conversations.” It groups the conversations in a thread. As someone replies to you, Gmail automatically brings up all previous related messages in a single, collapsible thread.

This allows you to see messages along with all the replies sent in response to them. With other email providers, replies would show as a separate email, but with Gmail, they are grouped into one thread. Best of all, this spares you the effort of searching folders to see what was written days or weeks ago.

Search

Gmail made it easy for users to quickly search every email they’ve ever received. Keywords and advanced search features allow Gmail users to find what they are looking for when they need it. Since Gmail is built on Google search technology, users can search by keywords with high precision.

Storage

Gmail offers users more storage space than most other free webmail services. Google believes that people should be able to hold on to their mail forever if they choose to do so. Gmail made a huge boom from the first day with the amount of free storage that is provided. When it was initially launched, users received 1,000 megabytes (or 1GB) of storage.

Back then, Yahoo was only providing 2 megabytes of free storage, and Hotmail provided 5 megabytes of free storage. Today, Gmail users have 15 gigabytes of storage for each Google account, combining Gmail and Google Drive. Users can purchase additional storage through a monthly subscription plan if needed.

Spam Filter

The Gmail spam filter makes it easier for a user to see only the emails which are relevant to them. It has an automatic detection system that uses a combination of user analytics and virus/phishing detection to send suspicious messages directly to spam. Its spam detection and filtering are extremely accurate and part of the reason why the email service has remained so popular.

Advertisements

Competitive webmail services were full of annoying pop-up ads. When it was introduced, Google deliberately made sure the Gmail user interface was clean and free of images or pop-up ads. Advertisements were set in a text format and Google positioned them in the corner to be less intrusive.

Combining Multiple Email Boxes

Gmail allows you to connect to your other online email boxes and combine them with your Gmail account. This is invaluable for those who use Outlook at work or people who have different email addresses.

​​Speed

​Messages are delivered very quickly, often within seconds of pressing the send button. With the extensive network of Google servers around the world, Gmail users enjoy near-instantaneous sending.

​Gmail Logo Design History

Phone with google apps

​Image from ​​Pixabay

​Some people work best under a tight deadline. That certainly seemed to be true for Dennis Hwang, who designed the Gmail logo the night before the product was launched. Hwang was Google’s international webmaster. He was also responsible for designing many of the Google doodles and logos and developed over 150 Google doodles during his career.

Hwang spent the day before the launch coming up with ideas for a logo that would work with the colorful Google brand. Little did he know, as a twenty-something guy sitting alone at his desk, sipping tea, that he would develop the main branding element for a product that would eventually be used by millions of people.

Kevin Fox, a former Google designer, tells the story that “the logo was designed literally the night before the product launched. We were up very late, and Sergey and I went down to his cube to watch him make it.”

Look closely at the logo and you’ll see that the first Gmail logo created was a combination of two different type fonts. Most people would never notice this, but the fonts truly are different. Initially, they tried to make the logo in the same font as the Google logo. The “G” is in Catull typeface, which is the same font as the Google logo. However, because Catull has an “a” that looks rather strange, Hwang decided he needed a cleaner, sans-serif font. That led him to choose the Myriad Pro font for “ail.”

The “m,” of course, appears as a small envelope. Referred to as “Envelope M” by Google staff, this is now the universal Gmail symbol. It has come to be recognized by millions around the world.

The Evolution Of The Gmail Logo

Gmail logo history

Photo by: 1000logos.net

​Corporate logos often change over time to stay fresh and relevant. The Gmail logo is no different. It’s gone through more than one logotype since the introduction of its beta version almost fifteen years ago. However, all Gmail logos continue to use the same “Envelope M” theme that was first introduced. Here is a timeline of the Gmail logos:

2004 (Beta): The initial logo was actually represented as Google Mail. It positioned the word “mail” underneath the more prominent Google logo, just off-center. The logo also incorporated the text “beta.”

2004-2010: When the service was formally launched in 2004, Google also introduced the brand name of Gmail. The first official Gmail logo incorporated the same colors as the Google logo as a way to visually associate it with the parent brand. For the first time, Gmail became the most prominent part of the logo, with the words “by Google” in smaller type and aligned underneath, to the left side.

2010-2013: In 2010, Gmail relaunched its front page. At the same time, they introduced an updated logo that was more in line with Google’s recently launched logo. The words “by Google” were shifted to align with the right side underneath the Gmail logo.

2013-present: Today, the Gmail logo only includes red, gray, and white as the background color. There are several shades of the red and gray, necessary for creating 3D effects with the logo. The logo simply includes the iconic “Envelope M,” without the word “Gmail.”

​Conclusion

​The iconic Gmail logo is known around the globe. Even though it has gone through some big changes over the years, it represents an email service that has become widely recognized as one of the best, if not the best, on the market today. It’s no surprise that today Gmail is one of the most used email services, with an active user base of more than 1.5 billion people.

It’s a complete tool that provides users with the most efficient way to manage, personalize and control their messages. If you don’t have a Gmail account yet, we encourage you to head on over to Gmail.com and get started today.

Fox Logo Design: History, Brand, Evolution, And More

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Fox logo
It’s one of the most recognizable brands, and like all brands with legacies as grand as Fox, it’s revised and even animated its logo multiple times over the decades, though the central idea of the logo has remained consistent: a gigantic monument reading, 20th Century Fox, with, of course, the famous Fox searchlights. There is no mistaking the Fox logo as a well-known icon of American culture.

About The Fox Brand

The name, “Fox,” is actually an anglicized version of the name of Fox’s original founder, William Fox. His original name was actually Wilhelm Fuchs. Like so many Hollywood stars and starlets who would do the same, though, he jumped into the American melting pot headlong, giving up his difficult-to-pronounce name for one that would sizzle in the spotlights that would eventually become a part of the iconic Fox Logo.

Early Years

Fox Film Corporation began in 1915, when William Fox began the Fox Film Corporation, whose brand would also extend to the Fox West Coast Theaters Chain.

In 1935, Fox Film Corporation merged with a company called Twentieth Century Pictures, which became a part of News Corporation from 1984 to 2013. All of this is to say nothing of the historic Fox Broadcasting Television Network which began in 1985, with the buyout of what had been founded as the Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation.

William Fox

Photo by: geni.com

Today, the Fox brand is perhaps most well-known for being the top news channel on cable television year-after-year, built on a strategy of conducting thorough journalism that often bucks the industry’s self-serving trends in favor of the viewer.

Fox News’s success also tends to employ anchors and reporters that are more attractive than their colleagues at other networks like MSNBC, a tradition that began with Fox News founder Roger Ailes’ watching demo tapes with the sound off. Ailes’ would later be accused of being rather traditional in his approach to hiring women, perhaps a product of his visual tastes that helped propel the network to number one.

In any event, the Fox Logo lives on as a powerhouse icon in all aspects of American culture, from Hollywood to New York. The coasts tend to favor Fox’s edgy entertainment and Hollywood fantasies, while the heartland in between tends to favor Fox’s direct, seemingly unpretentious reporting style and folksy, down-home, attractive television personalities. You might say that they place a premium on poaching more traditional American-looking “Foxes” to headline their news lineup.

The entertainment part of the Fox Family is largely being acquired by Disney, resulting in a company called “New Fox” which will continue to carry the torch of the brand begun over a century ago by William Fox, though New Fox doesn’t necessarily like to talk about its humble beginnings.

In November 2009, in what would seem to be a routine interview, a composer named Peter Vadala challenged Peter Johnson live on the air as to the credibility of the Fox News slogan, “Fair and Balanced,” because of the unfair interview being conducted. Ever since then, Fox News has downplayed the slogan in favor of “We Report, You Decide.”

Empty theater seats

Today, Fox News continues to dominate the cable news game on the backs of its continuous criticism of the other news channels, as well as, of course, its team of on-air, traditional American-looking “foxes,” including stunning anchorettes and folksy-sounding anchors.

Fox Logo Design History

The Fox Logo has undergone many slight yet significant modifications over the years to adapt to a changing, constantly merging, constantly adapting company as described above in the history of the Fox Brand.

Fox Logo Prehistory, Part I: “William Fox Presents.”

The first Fox Logo wouldn’t see regular use until 1935. So, what would theatergoers see before their films before 1935, since the studio began in 1915? Well, it was quite plain compared to the searchlight-lit monolyth. The plain text simply read, “WILLIAM FOX PRESENTS.” And yet, the company was still not ready to adopt something a little more impressive looking quite yet.

Fox Logo Prehistory, Part II: Transitioning to the Fox Logo

By 1930, the producers at Fox weren’t quite sure what to do. After all, William Fox was no longer in control of the studio. Their solution? Instead of including the title “William Fox Presents” at the beginning of films, the title card was changed simply to, “Fox Film Corporation Presents.” This would, in a smooth kind of way, demonstrate that the former head honcho wasn’t still there, while maintaining the benefits of brand recognition of the founder’s name. Still, a major makeover was needed!

Beige and brown reel to reel table lamp

1933 Fox Logo: 20th Century Pictures

The “20th Century Fox” monolith surrounded by searchlights might be famous today, but in the first half of the 20th century, it was brand spanking new, and there was. But in order to find a symbol, an image that would truly fill audiences with anticipation, and get them psyched for what they were about to see, 20th Century Pictures turned to a man named Emil Kosa, Jr.

Emil Kosa was famous for his watercolors and other matte paintings. You might recall the broken Statue of Liberty in the classic Planet of the Apes, or perhaps you saw the special effects in Cleopatra. All of this was the work of Emil Kosa.

Notably, the logo in 1933 didn’t actually have the word “Fox” in it! That’s because Twentieth Century Pictures wouldn’t merge with Fox Studios until 1935.

1935: The Year the 20th Century Fox Logo Became the 20th Century Fox Logo

1935 was the year we first see the 20th Century Fox Logo really beginning to take shape as we know it today. This is the first iteration where we finally see “Fox” instead of “pictures, inc.” in the lower part of the logo. Finally, it reads, “20th Century Fox!” and the creation of a legendary logo is all but complete. And yet, the iconic logo still had a long way to go!

1953 Logo: A Wider Logo for a Wider Screen

The truth is that Hollywood has always struggled to create new gimmicks to grab the attention of its audience. The trend in 1953, which has endured in other forms, was to make the screen wider! This left the producers with a quandary regarding the Fox Logo. It looked so small in the middle of the screen, surrounded by so much blank space. The name of the gimmick was called Cinemascope, and it was wider than previous formats of film.

Black video camera

Their solution? They contracted an artist named Rocky Longo, working for Pacific Title. He made the “0” in 20 bigger so it would take up more of the screen and thus, the logo would look as grand as it had before the widening of the screen. The first film to see the newly designed logo was calledHow to Marry a Millionarie. We’re not sure whether the ladies in the audience learned from this film how to actually marry a millionaire. However, they certainly did witness one heck of a 20th Century Fox logo!

1981 Logo: Straightening The Zero

Those who went to see How To Marry a Millionaire and other films since the grand new “20th Century Fox” design from 1953 noted that the “0” in “20” was painfully tilted to the right. It was one of those problems that the execs whispered about, but they had made such an investment in the new logo nobody said anything about it for almost 30 years.

That was when one of the heads finally commissioned Logo to fix the slanted zero, and thus, everyone could sleep easy knowing that glaring tilted zero was finally straight!

1994: The Fox Logo Is Computer-Generated!

1994 was the year that we finally get to see the camera moving! Because it’s a movie, it makes sense that the logo should be as cinematic as the actual film, right? And so we’re finally set up for a CG experience worthy of the moving pictures it would introduce for decades of more satisfied audiences.

Watch the new “curtain raiser” carefully, and as the camera sweeps down upon the logo, you’ll find the L.A. Basin punctuated by the famous Hollywood sign. The animation also pays homage to Rupert Murdoch and Peter Chernin, their names on the signage of storefronts in the panorama.

Along with the new animation came a new caption, “A News Corporation Company.” This was likely an attempt to create synergy between their two audiences; that of the print product of Fox, and the audience of the entertainment-oriented products. With this new CG intro, Fox boldly declared, in effect, that the brilliant entertainment was a product of the same brains that bring America the likes of the Wall Street Journal and Fox News.

1997: The Fox Fanfare Redux

In 1997, the Fox Logo’s accompanying fanfare got a slight makeover by the son of the original composer. It combined the main theme of the trumpet and drums of the original with some new embellishments, but it was still more than recognizable as the glory of the old with the zing of the new.

2009-Today: Bigger And Better than Ever

The 20th Century Fox Logo got a big makeover, with thanks to Blue Sky Studios, which Fox also owns. Blue Sky Studios is a CG animation house which, by the way, just happened to produce Ice Age. We think it looks pretty amazing! It shores up and clarifies some of the finer details of the shadows, and the way the searchlights interact with the surroundings.

Black video camera on brown wooden table

Customized Versions

Various directors have included versions of the 20th Century Fox logo which are customized to the theme of their films. For instance, Tim Burton got the go-ahead to include a snowy setting reflecting the cold nature of the themes of the movies.

Conclusion

The Fox logo has gotten many a slight upgrade over the years resulting in minor improvements to both the monolith itself and the camera position. The score has gotten numerous touchups over the years, to be sure, as well. But one thing has remained the same from Fox’s beginnings from 1915 to the present: the name Fox. And though Fox took some time to find the best logo, we’re happy, as I’m sure you are, that it decided upon that iconic monolith with the searchlights which we’re sure it will keep for many more years to come.

Samsung Logo Design, History, & Evolution

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samsung-logo

In today’s capitalist society, brand names, logos, and jingles can become cultural touchstones. So, by examining a major brand one can view society in cross-section. 

One such brand is the electronics giant Samsun. Which rose from humble beginnings in the 1930s. To become today one of the world’s largest makers of consumer electronics. 

The story of the brand can be told through the prism of the famous and now ubiquitous Samsung logo. Which has undergone changes over time. That reflect alterations both on the broader consumer landscape. Also, within the company itself.

mobile-cellphone-camera-samsung

Image via Pixabay

About the Samsung Brand

Early Years

Originally formed in 1938. As a trading company that dealt in dried fish, noodles, and local produce. Samsung (which means “three stars” or “tri-star” in Korean). diversified into a range of industries. Like food processing, textiles, and retail.

Also delving into financial matters such as insurance and securities. It would not be until the late 1960s. That Samsung would enter the consumer electronics sphere. For which it is most well-known today.

During this transition into consumer electronics. Samsung created several new divisions to focus on the burgeoning new industry. Including Samsung Electronic Devices, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Corning, and Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications. 

The first product to be delivered under this new direction was a Samsung black-and-white television set. A precursor of things to come.

Telecommunications

phone-communication-call-select

Image via Pixabay

Another fateful corporate decision took place in 1980. When Samsung entered the telecommunications hardware industry. With its buy of a South Korean company that manufactured switchboards. Soon, Samsung had revamped the newly acquired facilities to build equipment for telephone and fax systems. Which, decades later. Ultimately would culminate in Samsung’s successful line of mobile phones.

A Global Player

smartphone-wlan-wifi-mobile-phone

Image via Pixabay

During the 1990s. Samsung first began to emerge as the dominant global player it remains today. By 1992, Samsung had become the world’s number one producer of memory chips. Which were found in an ever-growing array of devices. Making it the number two producer of chips generally. Samsung introduced its first Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens in 1995.

By a decade later, it was one of the world’s largest makers of LCD displays. At one point, Samsung entered into a joint agreement with Sony. To produce ample LCD displays to fulfill the needs of both companies. But Samsung later bought out Sony’s stake in the venture.

Since around 2000. Samsung has been embroiled in many intellectual property lawsuits around the globe. Particularly cases brought by and against Apple. With both sides alleging the theft of intellectual property in their competitor’s smart-phone devices.

Regardless, by the beginning of 2012. Samsung had overtaken Nokia as the largest mobile-phone manufacturer by sales. A crown Nokia had held since 1998.

Present Position

camera-samsung-nx-300-samsung

Image via Pixabay

From 2017 revenues, Samsung Electronics, the face of Samsung most visible to consumers. Presently claims the titles of world’s largest information technology company. Also, world’s largest chipmaker, and world’s largest consumer electronics maker.

What many consumers may not know. But, is that beginning in the mid-1970s. One of the most significant factors driving Samsung’s growth was its shipbuilding division.

Today, Samsung Heavy Industries is one of the world’s largest shipbuilders. And the number two shipbuilder by revenue as recently as 2010. Samsung boasts not one but two construction companies. Samsung Engineering, and Samsung C&T. 

Both of which rank among the world’s 20 largest. Besides, Samsung Life Insurance is the world’s 14th largest life-insurance company. Also, Samsung Everland operates the oldest amusement park in South Korea and Cheil Worldwide. 

Samsung company, is the world’s 15th largest advertising company, per 2012 revenues.This combination of assets makes Samsung one of the largest companies in the world. Ranking 6th overall in global brand value as of 2017.

In all, the Samsung of today comprises over 80 companies in industries. As diverse as consumer electronics, and life insurance. Also, construction, financial services, medical services, and shipbuilding. Generating hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue annually.

While the company is a far cry from its humble beginnings. Its founder’s vision of a highly diversified company. With its fingers in some disparate economic pies remains true to this day.

Samsung Logo Design History and History

Firstly, while many American consumers only have become familiar with the Samsung name. And so the Samsung logo over the past few decades. The company’s roots date back to 1938.

Now, the operation was so small, localized, and trade-centric. That the company did not even consider the need for a logo. By 20 years later. Yet, the company had expanded to such an extent that management recognized. The need for a unique and identifying Samsung logo.

mobile-cellphone-camera-samsung

Image via Pixabay

The 1958 Samsung Logo

Having undergone significant growth in its first two decades of existence. Samsung became aware of the need for a unique identifier. That consumers would associate with their ever-expanding brand.

This first Samsung logo bears little resemblance to the Samsung logo and word mark we now know today. In recognition of the literal meaning of the company’s name (In Korean, Samsung means “three stars”).

The original Samsung logo features three stars, three stripes. And, in a nod to the company’s origins in the agricultural sector. A grouping of wheat plants.

The 1960s Samsung Logo

As the company delved further into the consumer electronics marketplace in the 1960s. With its first black-and-white televisions. Samsung again recognized the need to revise its logo. While it retained the traditional three-star graphical design.

The revised Samsung logo introduced a wordmark beside the reduced-size tri-star emblem. Which had also been decluttered. Furthermore, the simple three stars within a circle appeared.

Somewhat reminiscent of the logo of the Pittsburgh Steelers National Football League team. Without the distinctive black-and-yellow coloring.

The 1980s Samsung Logo

toy-lego-technology-device

Image via Pixabay

As Samsung continued to expand into the 1980s. It underwent yet another re-imagining of the Samsung logo. This time to a design that would be more recognizable to modern consumers.

Though still a far cry from the contemporary Samsung logo we know today. Through the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The company continued to use variations on its original three-star design. Introducing a word-free logo that featured three different four-pointed stars arranged. With two stacked on top of one another and the third off to the side.

In addition, though the most prominent feature. The stars in this Samsung logo are formed using negative space. Futhermore, with the actual design using ten diamond shapes. To create the exterior contours of the stars.

This same three-stars-constructed-of-diamonds Samsung logo introduced in the 1980s. Also came in a version that included a wordmark. With the graphical element reduced significantly in size.

And placed in front of the word “Samsung.” In this version, the diamonds appear in a bright red color, and the word “Samsung” is spelled out in a bold. Sans serif font that is much heavier than the sleek wordmark in use today.

smartphone-face-man-old-baby

Image via ​Pixabay

The 1993 Samsung Logo

In 1993, Samsung introduced the Samsung logo as we know it today. Also, which features a leaner wordmark ensconced in an oblong blue oval. This version of the Samsung logo finally dropped the three-star design. For good, literally and symbolically. Placing that era of the company behind them as the company looked to the future it was helping to shape.

The blue oval, tilted at a ten-degree angle, is, according to some commentators. Intended to represent the blue orb of the Earth as it races through space. Demonstrating how far the company had come from the days.

When the Samsung logo hearkened back to the company’s earlier role in wheat production. From the fruits of the earth itself to a view from space. The evolution of the Samsung logo is, in a sense, an allegory for the history of the company itself.

Conclusion

As one of the world’s largest makers of consumer electronics. Samsung literally has helped shape the world we inhabit today. Influencing our habits. The way we communicate with one another, and even the ways in which we perceive and interact with our world.

While it is easy to overlook the influence of such large corporate players. The fact is that they have an enormous influence on the direction our culture takes. As they seek to respond to as well as dictate consumer tastes. 

By examining something. As seemingly innocuous and straightforward as the changes to the Samsung logo. One can learn a great deal about the changing role of electronics in consumers’ lives. As well as how Samsung sought to cultivate this relationship between human and machine.

In less than a century since Samsung was founded in 1938. The kind of equipment Samsung manufactures has migrated from the agricultural field into the home. Also, where its devices have become an integral, everyday part of most people’s lives.

This is symbolized within the Samsung logo by its evolution from a design. Featuring wheat plants to one purporting to show the world from space.


Star Wars Logo Design, History; Evolution

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darth vader

Star Wars is one of the most successful franchises in film history. When the first film in the series was released with the eponymous film in 1977, no one could have predicted the impact that this film series would have not only on Hollywood and film making, but on culture.

Many terms associated with the Star Wars franchise are now in common parlance, including specific aspects of the film like lightsabers and Jedi knights. Even the Princess Leia hairstyle of the original film is well-known. Here we will discuss the Star Wars logo and the history and impact of the logo in the United States and around the world.

Logos are important for brand marketing and Star Wars is no different. A good logo is immediately recognizable, allowing someone interested in the product to instantly know they are in the right place. Some of the most iconic logos include the golden arches, Starbucks mermaid, the blue oval, and a simple outline of an apple with a bite taken out of it.

The Star Wars logo may be simple but it conveys the message of the films in an effective and succinct fashion. In this regard, the Star Wars logo has all the characteristics of a good logo.

About Star Wars

It is difficult to imagine American film without Star Wars. The Star Wars films have had an enormous cultural impact, which says nothing about the impact Star Wars has had on film making itself. Star Wars took science fiction film making away from a niche industry and catapulted it into the mainstream.

Films today are saturated with the science fiction elements that Star Wars introduced, such as the design of spaceships and weapons, and even character and set design.

George Lucas and the First Three Films

Star Wars was created by George Lucas and the first film was released in 1977. The first Star Wars film, entitled Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV) was the first film in one of the most lucrative film franchises in history.

The film was given the designation Episode IV because George Lucas planned even then to create three prequel films to introduce the story and characters he explored in that first film. This film introduced to us such characters as Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca, just to name a few.

It is difficult to say why Star Wars has been so popular as a franchise, but it may have to do with striking the right balance between science fiction elements and the typical characteristics of a fun, entertaining film.

Star Wars was followed by The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and The Return of the Jedi in 1983. These first three films were basically a long entry in the space opera that is Star Wars. They concern the events in the life of Luke Skywalker and his father, (spoiler alert!) Darth Vader. They explore concepts of good and evil in the setting of a galaxy far, far away.

darth vader two

Star Wars Gets a Reboot

The Star Wars franchise did not end with the first three films. George Lucas kept his promise of releasing his prequels to the series when he dropped The Phantom Menace in 1999. The Phantom Menace was Episode I, meaning it was intended to introduce the characters and ideas that were explored in the original three Star Wars films.

The Phantom Menace, like the other, later Star Wars films, continued to use the basic Star Wars logo, although appearing a little differently because the films did not incorporate Star Wars into the name.

Star Wars introduced us to Anakin Skywalker, the boy who would later be known as Darth Vader. The Phantom Menace was followed by Attack of the Clones, which continued to explore the story of Anakin Skywalker’s descent into the dark side. 2002’s Attack of the Clones was followed by Revenge of the Sith, a film which completed Anakin’s transformation from reluctant Jedi knight into servant of the Dark Emperor Palpatine.

Star Wars For a New Audience

Although the prequels have been met with mixed reviews from critics and fans, George Lucas and his team did not stop there. The Star Wars franchise received a vibrant boost with the release of The Force Awakens in 2015, which became Episode VII in the franchise. Like the other films, The Force Awakens also used a basic variation of the Star Wars logo. The Force Awakens was followed by the Last Jedi in 2017, a film which continued the phenomenal box office receipts of all the other Star Wars films.

Outside of the main Skywalker theme of the Star Wars films, George Lucas and his team also forayed into other stories that explored the Star Wars universe. The two main films here are Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

These films branched off from the main plot of the episodic Star Wars films although they frequently referenced or even included main characters and plot devices. The success of the films in the Star Wars franchise has meant that more films are in the works, with Episode IX already in development.

Star Wars Logo Logo Design

The design of the Star Wars logo is pretty basic. Although the Star Wars logo with its block-style lettering and 80s flair is recognizable to most movie fans, the original logo was not in place at the time the first film was released.

A review of posters and other memorabilia that surrounded the first film shows that the Star Wars logo underwent somewhat of an evolution. Most variations of the logo followed the theme that moviegoers see in the opening sequence of the films: of letters trailing off into the distance.

star wars logo


The Star Wars logo we recognize today crops up in the titles of all the films that followed the original Star Wars released in 1977. Although the logos of the various films have their distances, the smooth, circular lines around the letters and block-style of the letters is consistent across the films with some exceptions.

As mentioned above, the main theme of the Star Wars logo is almost an 80s science fiction type of Art Nouveau with the sense of movement we associate with the opening narrative sequence of the film.

Although the Star Wars logo may appear fairly simple, this may be a selling point not only for the logo but for the films in general. Star Wars does not strike itself out as a film that attempts to be something it is not.

Although the characters, ideas, and sets are enticing and original, the characters in Star Wars come across as old family friends that just happen to be living very, very far away from Earth (and technically died a long, long time ago). George Lucas does a good job at making Star Wars both something different and something familiar, a trick we even see with the Star Wars logo.

Star Wars Logo History & Evolution

As we touched on earlier, the Star Wars logo was not set in stone at the time the first film was released in 1977. Posters, advertisements, and other memorabilia reveal sometimes subtle variations on the basic theme of the logo.

The logo letters are generally in block-style, but sometimes we see the words Star Wars in stark, jarring text. That is, without the smooth, curving lines we see in the titles of the Star Wars films. This may represent George Lucas and the other names in Star Wars still attempting to figure out what this whole Star Wars thing was about.

What do we mean by that? We live in the age of branding, and a logo is an important part of a brand. By streamlining the logo of Star Wars into a thing of block letters, smooth lines, and sort of upbeat, modern flair, George Lucas did not set Star Wars apart as a dramatic, horror film but the type of lighthearted film that anyone in the family could enjoy.

The films that came after the original Star Wars all had logo designs that were variations of the first film. Some logos used thinner lettering, but the smooth, circular style has been consistent throughout all the films in the franchise.

This is not to say that the logo has not changed it all, but the creators of the many films have stuck to the basic design, usually just changing the colors and thickness of the letters. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—something other branders can take to heart when branding their products.

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Conclusion

Star Wars has a place in the heart of many film enthusiasts because they associate the film with the times in their lives when they first watched them.

In this context, the Star Wars logo is important as it reminds the person looking at the logo of those feelings they feel when they watch the film. Because the logo is smooth, simple, and not jarring, the logo is able to effectively represent and sell the Star Wars franchise.