10 famous company logos then and now
DESCRIPTION
Some of the most recognizable company logos and brand identities didn't start out that way. Here are 10 original company logos that you wouldn't recognize in today's marketplace.TRANSCRIPT
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10 ORIGINAL COMPANY
LOGOS YOU WOULDNT RECOGNIZE
THEN AND NOW
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Graphic Design & Brand IdentityOnce you get out of school for graphic design, one of the
potential job prospects is to work in a marketing
department on corporate branding.
It is easy to underestimate the power of a logo on how we
perceive companies.
But if you compare the original logos for some of the
worlds most well-known companies to the logos they have now, you can see how powerful graphic design can really
be.
Lets take a look at the evolution of 10 corporate logos, then and now
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Nintendo
Before Nintendo was in the business of video game design,
they were actually a playing card company.
The original logo from 1889 consisted of three words (nin,
ten, and do).
But it wasnt until 1967, when the company ventured into creating electronic toys, that the company we now know as
Nintendo was born.
Over 100 years later, the current logo was introduced in
2006.
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Then Now
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Apple
Apple is one of the most iconic (and one of the most cash-
rich) companies in the world today.
And they got there largely in part due to their branding and
sleek design, which is often minimalist.
But their current identity is a far departure from their
original 1976 logo, which came complete with an inscription
which read:
"Newton A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought Alone."
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Then Now
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McDonalds
The now-famous golden arches werent always McDonalds symbol.
In fact, McDonalds wasnt always the fast-food restaurant we know today.
The first restaurant operated by McDonalds served burgers, but it was also a place for barbecue. The iconic
McDonalds fries werent even an option.
By the late 1940s McDonalds decided to focus on burgers and speedy service, creating Chef Speedee as a mascot.
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Then Now
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Coca Cola
Although it is now one of the most recognizable and most
valuable brands in the world, Coca Colas original logo wasnt nearly as recognizable as the one now.
Created in 1886, the original logo was simple and without
color.
In the 1900s Coca Cola introduced the script which they
have stuck with ever since (except for a short departure in
1985, which didnt last very long).
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Then Now
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MasterCard
Along with being one of the most universally-accepted
payment methods, MasterCard also has one of the most
universally known logos.
But it wasnt always that way.
In 1966 the company was actually known as Interbank. By
1969, it transitioned into the newer logo with the
overlapping circles, and went by the name of Master
Charge.
1979 saw the birth of MasterCard as we know it today (with
a few slight tweaks along the way).
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Then Now
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Pepsi
Pepsi wasnt always known by that name. It was first introduced to the market in 1893 under the name Brads Drink.
A re-branding in 1898 saw the birth of Pepsi-Cola,
complete with a brand new logo.
Unlike Coca Cola, Pepsi went with a fancier script and
color right away. The two companies actually had logos that
resembled each other for a while.
After several iterations, and decades with new a new logo,
Pepsi re-introduced script in a logo/script combo in 2014.
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Then Now
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Nokia
Nokia is now best known for their mobile devices. But it
wasnt always the case. They have a history of selling quite a variety of products, including televisions, car tires, shoes,
and more.
Theyve also had a variety of logos throughout their history, beginning in 1865.
The word Nokia actually refers to an animal one that is not a fish. But a fish took center stage in its original logo.
But then again, the company is Scandinavian
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Then Now
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Xerox
What we know today as Xerox was born in 1906 as the
Harloid Company. And it had a logo to match.
In 1948, the Xerox name was born out of the invention of
xerography, a photocopy technique (although the Harloid
name was still incorporated in the logo).
The idea became a huge success, and the company
became known as just Xerox in 1961.
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Then Now
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IBM
The company that is IBM today was found in 1896 as the
Tabulating Machine Company.
It wasnt until 1924 that the company adopted the name it holds to this day: International Business Machines.
The logo has changed along with the name changes, and
through different eras.
While the newest logo holds a similar design to the IBM
weve seen for decades, it has gone back to the classic black-and-white.
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Then Now
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Mercedes
As far as car logos go, the three pointed star of Mercedes-
Benz is as iconic as it gets.
But it wasnt always the symbol for the German automaker.
Prior to a merger of separate companies before World War
I, Mercedes had a very straightforward logo without any
symbols; just the name.
In 1909 the company introduced the three-pointed star
which has lasted (with a few evolutions) ever since.
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Then Now
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For more great content, visit:
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/graphic-design/
Want to pursue a career in graphic design? Learn more
about the graphic design school at the New York Film
Academy
New York:
https://www.nyfa.edu/graphic-design/
Los Angeles:
https://www.nyfa.edu/los-angeles/graphic-design/