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Girard-Perregaux Logo Design History and Evolution

Girard-Perregaux was technically founded in 1791, but it did not gain its distinctive name until the 1850s when it was bought by Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux. This Swiss watchmaking company is known for timepieces that combine beautiful elegance with innovative technology.

The Girard-Perregaux logo reflects the company’s devotion to style, so it has been changed many times to reflect current trends. Keep reading to discover more of the rich tradition behind this historical luxury watchmaking-brand’s logo.

Girard-Perregaux Logo Design Elements

The Girard-Perregaux logo is essentially a large logotype. It contains three lines of text that are used to sum up the company’s brand identity. Each line of text is centered, creating a tidy and symmetrical appearance. The logo is normally written as black text on transparent or white background, but the colors can change occasionally.

At the top of the logo are the initials “GP” in a large font. The center of the logo says the full name, “Girard-Perregaux,” in slightly smaller text, and then the bottom says “Mechanics of Time since 1791” in much tinier text. All of the letters are capitalized, and they are written in a beautiful san-serif font that contains slanted curves and slightly curling serifs.

Changes and Evolution

1. Shape

It is no surprise that Girard-Perregaux has had several logos since they have been around for almost 250 years. At first, the logo was actually for Jean-Francois Bautte, the former owner of the company. For a while, they used variations of a circular font with heraldic symbols like eagles, anchors, and sea serpents. These logos referenced the company’s position as wristwatch producers for the navy.

Once they switched to text logos, Girard-Perregaux changed the text several times. For a while in the mid 1900s, it said “Fine Watches since 1791.” The inclusion of the large brand initials is the most recent major change, occurring just a couple of decades ago. The tagline in the logo has occasionally changed as well. Past mottos include “Watches for the Few Since 1791” and “Swiss Haute Horlogerie Since 1791.”

2. Color

Like many other watchmaking companies, Girard-Perregaux has made the smart decision to avoid limiting their brand to just one color. Though it frequently shows up as white text on a black background, the Girard-perregaux logo can technically be any color. It frequently shows up in tasteful neutrals, like black, grey, white, gold, silver, or brown, when it is on watches.

3. Font

The font for the basic “Girard-Perregaux” portion of the logo has changed many times along with the logo itself. For many years, an ornate script font was used to reference the impressive history of the brand. When it was updated, it became a somewhat gothic font. This was changed to an elongated san-serif font similar to the style that was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. After bouncing around between trendy fonts for a while, it seems that Girard-Perregaux has finally settled on a font they like. Their current font has remained the same for many recent logos.

Influences/Inspiration

Girard-Perregaux designed their logo with a few key goals in mind. They knew they needed something versatile, since the company likes to put elements from their logo on watches. Therefore, a combination of brand name and brand initials was chosen. The initials are small enough to fit on tiny watch components, while the brand name is long enough to arch around the face of a watch. Girard-Perregaux always includes a motto about their founding date because they know that consumers value tradition and history when they are shopping for luxury watches.

Trivia

Girard-Perregaux’s logo has the honor of being on the first wristwatch that was ever commercially produced. They were made for German naval officers, and even Kaiser Wilhelm I wore one.
The company gets its name from Constant Girard, who named it with his family name and his wife’s maiden name. At the time, it was quite unusual for a watch company to contain the name of a female.
Though you can seen most of the logo on Girard-Perregaux watches, the motto is never included.

Conclusion

Though the Girard-Perregaux logo has changed several times, they always include a few key elements. A motto referencing their founding in 1791 helps to remind buyers of the brand’s proud history and tradition of excellence. The use of the brand initials makes the logo instantly recognizable while the inclusion of the full name of the brand further highlights that they are an important part of Swiss luxury watchmaking tradition.

Miu Miu Logo Design History and Evolution

By Billy Clarke Leave a Comment

Founded as a subsidiary of Prada in 1993, Miu Miu is known for its high-end accessories and clothing. The company was started by Miuccia Prada with the intent of creating more playful and avant-garde clothes that still contained the signature quality of Prada. One way that Miu Miu differentiates itself from its parent company is with its whimsical logo.

At first glance, the Miu Miu logo might seem simplistic, but a closer look reveals the careful design that went into this logo. Keep reading to find out the fascinating history behind the Miu Miu logo.

Miu Miu Logo Design Elements

The Miu Miu logo uses a bold design of white text on a black background to create a strong graphical impression. It reads “Miu Miu” in a series of lowercase letters. Miu Miu uses a custom font that consists of single, curving lines with equal thickness, straight ends, and no serifs.

Both the M’s and the U’s have a line of white going through the middle of the letter. This clever use of negative space creates a linear effect that is visually pleasing without making the text unreadable. The bottom of the M’s are aligned with the bottom of the I’s, and the top of the U’s are aligned with the top of the I’s. However, the top of the M’s and the bottoms of the U’s are minutely extended to cause a slightly off-balance effect that ensures the logo does not look too bland.

Changes and Evolution

1. Shape

Many would think that the Miu Miu logo’s shape has remained the same over the years, but there have been a couple subtle changes. As one can see in older fashion shoots, the Miu Miu logo originally used M’s and U’s that extended farther above the I’s. It was also slightly more elongated when it was first created. The logo’s shape has been gently altered to make it look relatively shorter and wider.

2. Color

Most instances of the Miu Miu logo use black text on a white background. However, the monochromatic color scheme allows Miu Miu to switch up their color scheme whenever they need to. Many of the store fronts show the logo as a gold or silver color, and in print ads, the logo can be red, green, pink, or any other shade that matches the color scheme of the image.

3. Font

Miu Miu’s special font is really what makes their logo standout. Therefore, they are wise enough to not change it in any significant ways. In the late 2010s, the company briefly tried a subtle alteration by gently rounding the corners of each letter’s edges. However, they quickly realized that the logo font looked better when it contrasted straight tips with rounded curves, so they went back to their normal font within a couple years.

Influences/Inspiration

A lot of the inspiration behind the Miu Miu logo was a desire to differentiate it from the Prada brand while still retaining the luxury fashion status of their parent company. Just like Prada, Miu Miu chose to use a simple and elegant black on white color scheme. The Miu Miu logo also contains unusual negative space uses like the notched R in the Prada logo. However, Miu Miu knew that they could not appeal to a younger, rebellious crowd if they looked too much like Prada. They picked a more modern san-serif font with lowercase letters that fit in with graphic design trends from the 1990s. This juxtaposition of youthful trendiness and classic style was selected because it coincided with Miu Miu’s fashion goals.

Trivia

A lot of counterfeit Miu Miu purses are identified because they put all the letters in a straight row instead of slightly dropping the U’s.
Miu Miu is the childhood nickname of Miuccia Prada, the granddaughter of the founder of Prada and the current head designer at Prada.
You can see the Miu Miu logo on storefronts in every continent around the world besides Antarctica

Conclusion

The Miu Miu logo helps to enhance the brand’s rebellious and quirky reputation. The thick curves, blank spaces, and uneven U’s combine to create a logo that is memorable without being overwrought. Miu Miu has never needed to change their logo because it is such a perfect representation of their clothing style and brand identity.

Alexander McQueen Logo Design History and Evolution

By Anthony Pena Leave a Comment

British fashion designer Alexander McQueen got his start as a designer at Givenchy, but he later achieved international fame when he founded his own label in 1992. The luxury fashion house quickly became known for their over the top and occasionally controversial fashion statements.

This unique brand needed an unusual logo to fit their off-kilter aesthetic, so the signature Alexander McQueen logo was created to stand out. In this article, we will take a look at how the Alexander McQueen logo was designed and learn a little more about the history behind this simple yet unique logo.

Alexander McQueen Logo Design Elements

Alexander McQueen’s logo is a wordmark which means that the logo is just the name of the brand written in a special design. It uses a black text on a white background that matches almost anything the brand creates. The font used for this logo is the classic Baskerville font that has been around since the 1750s. Baskerville has crisp edges with curved serifs and elegant lines, so it helps to give a hint of tradition and respectability to a rather young and bold brand.

The first part of the logo, “Alexander,” is placed in a horizontal line atop the second half, “McQueen.” To make the two lines the same width, the top line is written in slightly smaller text. Alexander McQueen keeps their logo from looking too simple by placing the C in “McQueen” inside the hollow middle of the Q instead of being placed in its proper position.

Changes and Evolution

1. Shape

Though Alexander McQueen has always used the same design elements, they have been shifted around quite a lot over the years. At first, the logo was normally depicted as a single horizontal line that contained both the “Alexander” and the “McQueen” portions. This was then changed to a version that had “Alexander” in very small letters on top of “McQueen” in very large letters. The letter-insider a letter motif was emphasized even more heavily when the logo changed to feature the basic logo in small letters beneath a giant Q that contained a “Mc.”

2. Color

Alexander McQueen almost always displays their logo as black text on a white background. Unlike many other brands, the logo coloring does not change to suit design schemes. The only time the logo color changes is when it shows up as a white text on a black background.

3. Font

Alexander McQueen’s font has been almost as consistent as their color choices. Other than a brief, unpopular experiment with a sans serif font in a few print ads, the company has always used their classic, curling, serif font.

Influences/Inspiration

The Alexander McQueen logo actually bears many similarities to other famous fashion brands. Simple black text that contains the fashion house’s name on a white background is used in most luxury fashion labels, including Valentino, Dior, Prada, and Balenciaga. McQueen may have been particularly influenced by the Givenchy logo that was used by his previous employer.

However, the logo stands out because it is not just a simple wordmark or an elaborate image. The choice to move the C inside of the Q was an inspired decision that allows more visual interest. This design move was intended to have a bold, graphic effect, and it definitely makes the Alexander McQueen logo more memorable.

Trivia

Alexander McQueen’s full name is actually Lee Alexander McQueen. When he was just getting started, fashion editor Isabella Blow suggested he go by his middle name because it sounded more distinguished.
Since McQueen’s death in 2010, the fashion house has stopped creating themed collections.
The Alexander McQueen logo has been attached to many unique and controversial pieces, including luggage shaped like human ribcages and a skirt decorated with tampons.

Conclusion

Just like his fashion, the Alexander McQueen logo is a fresh take on a traditional fashion house logo. The clean black and white wordmark may bear some superficial similarities to other famous companies, but the unusual letter placement adds more visual interest. It manages to look like a work of art while still being straightforward enough to appeal to those outside the fashion world.

PlayBoy Logo Design History and Evolution

By Tanya O’Donnell Leave a Comment

Playboy managed to succeed where several other erotic magazines failed because they cultivated a high class aura with their exclusive clubs and literary articles. This brilliant marketing has turned their bunny logo into an instantly recognizable symbol. The magazine was founded in 1953, and their iconic logo has been with them since the second issue of the magazine. Keep reading to find out more about how the Playboy logo was designed and learn how it changed the entire company.

Playboy Logo Design Elements

The most recognizable part of Playboy’s logo is the head of a rabbit. It is a simple silhouette that shows the side profile of a rabbit with two, pointed ears. The Rabbit’s eye is drawn with a circle of negative space. Beneath the rabbit’s head is a simple bowtie drawn from a line and two triangles. This emblem manages to be extremely simple to reproduce, yet it is also unique enough to represent Playboy.

Most people just think about the bunny when they are imagining the Playboy logo, but the logo also contains the brand name. Beneath the rabbit head, “Playboy” is written in thick, all-capital lettering. The custom font designed by Jackson Cavanaugh uses short, wide letters with large slab serifs. Both the rabbit and brand name are typically shown in black on either a white or a transparent background.

Changes and Evolution

Source

1. Shape

Playboy has technically only had one logo, but it took a bit of work for the company to come up with their signature silhouette. The logo got its start as a humorous little sketch by Arv Miller that showed a stag wearing Hefner’s signature smoking jacket and cravat while holding a drink and standing in front of a fireplace. When the magazine decided to change its name from “Stag Party” to “Playboy,” Miller redrew this sketch with a rabbit for the head.

This cartoon was originally going to be the Playboy logo, but then Playboy Art Director Arthur Paul created a simplified version of this sketch. The rabbit silhouette was just going to be used as an endnote after each article, but Hefner liked it so much that it was adopted as the official logo.

2. Color

The Playboy bunny logo is almost always drawn as a simple black silhouette on a white background. However, the company does draw it in pink occasionally when it is associated with more feminine marketing campaigns.

3. Font

Since the beginning, the magazine has simply used the font from their title as the logo font. This font has gradually become bolder and thicker, but it still retains all the original characteristics. It is essentially a classic slab font with thick, blocky serifs.

Influences/Inspiration

The Playboy logo was originally created because Hefner wanted to do some sort of friendly, non-threatening animal as the magazine’s mascot. Though the magazine was originally going to do a stag, it decided that this was too similar to many other mens’ magazines at the time. Hefner ended up picking a bunny because it had some sexual connotations while still being frisky and playful.

According to Hefner, he “chose it because it’s a fresh animal, shy, vivacious, jumping – sexy. First it smells you then it escapes, then it comes back.” The bowtie was then added to the rabbit to make it look more human and upper class. This clever addition helped to further Playboy’s brand as a magazine for classy gentlemen.

Trivia

The Playboy logo is so popular among the military that it was used as the aircraft insignia for the Navy’s VX-4 squadron.
Hefner’s choice of a bunny for the logo later inspired the bunny costume worn by waitresses at the company’s nightclubs.
Playboy’s logo is now so iconic that the company makes more money licensing out its logo for products instead of from selling centerfolds.
It took Art Paul only half an hour to draw this famous logo.

Conclusion

In modern times, Playboy’s bunny logo is almost more popular than the magazine itself. The simplicity and humor of the logo has helped to make it an iconic image that is raunchy without being offensive. Despite its humble origins as a simple magazine endnote, the Playboy logo has gone on to become an excellent brand ambassador for the company.

ATT Logo Design History and Evolution

By Anthony Pena Leave a Comment

AT&T has gone through a lot of changes since being founded by telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell in 1885, becoming a monopoly, and being broken up by anti-monopoly laws. In modern times, AT&T also provides internet and television services in addition to landlines and mobile phones.

The many changes of the company have resulted in several logo alterations. AT&T has has over ten logos in its long history. This article will tell you a little more about how these logos changed over the years and let you know more about the design of the modern ATT logo.

ATT Logo Design Elements

The main element of the ATT logo is a globe emblem. Six curving blue stripes are alternated with five curving white stripes to create the impression of a three dimensional globe. The blue color used in AT&T’s logo is a bright, cool-toned version of cyan that was intentionally chosen to show up on both dark and light backgrounds.

To the right side of the AT&T globe is the corporate logotype which says “AT&T” in bold, black, all-capitalized letters. This customized san-serif font shares many similarities with the classic Helvetica font, but it is slightly thicker and straighter.

Changes and Evolution

Source

1. Shape

There have been many changes to the logo shape over the years, including a few subtle alterations and some major renovations. At first, the logo was just a black bell that said “Long Distance Telephone” in white lettering. By 1900, a circle had been added around the bell that said “American Telephone and Telegraph Co. and Associated Companies” in black lettering and the phrase “Bell System” was added beneath the bell. The bell surrounded by a ring underwent several minor alterations.

The next major change to the AT&T logo did not occur until 1964 when the company adopted a logo that was the bell circle set next to the word “AT&T .” After a few years, the bell was simplified to a basic outline, and the symbol migrated to the top of the AT&T wordmark.

AT&T unveiled a brand new logo in the early 1980s when they changed the bell to the striped globe. Over the next two decades, AT&T used essentially the same logo, but they occasionally changed the number or curvature of the stripes. In 2005, the white and blue stripes were switched, and a three dimensional shading effect was added.

2. Color

For the first 80 years of the company’s life, AT&T had no color beyond black and white. Once they switched to the cyan shade in 1969, AT&T made this color their signature shade. It has showed up on every logo since.

3. Font

With one minor exception, all fonts used in the AT&T have been a variation of a capitalized, san serif font with even, regular lettering. From 2005 to 2015, AT&T attempted to appeal to a younger demographic by using a lowercase lettering, but this decision was canceled in the 2015 logo update.

Influences/Inspiration

AT&T uses a globe as their symbol because they wanted to represent the global reach of the company. The white stripes are thicker on the left, upper side to represent the location of America. These white stripes represent the gradual growth of the company’s communications network as it has stretched to other nations.

AT&T designers had a few goals in mind when they made the newest version of the logo. They increased the amount of negative white space so that the logo would be legible at small sizes. For even more versatility, the blue color was slightly lightened and brightened so it can show up equally well on dark backgrounds, screens, signs, and paper. The globe was given a more upright appearance to convey stability to viewers. AT&T also switched back to their old capital lettering to reference their lengthy history and appear more respectable.

Trivia

The font used for the logo is part of a custom font suite called “Aleck” after company founder Alexander Graham Bell.
AT&T originally meant “American Telephone and Telegraph Company,” but telegraphs are no longer a primary focus of the company.
AT&T’s decision to switch the white and blue stripes in their updated logo ended up being rather pricey because this minor change required them to replace all the giant globe signs on their skyscrapers.

Conclusion

Despite all the corporate restructuring, mergers, and changes in product, AT&T has managed to retain a consistent customer base. Their logo might change slightly, but it always keeps the key elements of a blue circle and a bold company name to retain brand recognition. This consistency has helped the AT&T logo to represent a worldwide telecommunications company.