identify: basic identity designs solutions: the iconic trademarks of chermayeff & geismar

8/4/2019 Identify: Basic Identity Designs Solutions: The Iconic Trademarks of Chermayeff & Geismar

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24 IDENTIFY

The simplicity of the peacock

symbol allows it to be used in

a wide variety of forms, from

various broadcast applications

to cut bronze metal shapes at

the entrance to NBC’s Rockefeller

Center studios.

Below are a few early sketches

for the peacock design.



94 IDENTIFY

When The Museum of Modern

Art was extensively renovated

and expanded in the l960s,

we developed a very simple

typographic style for the museum

name and related signage.

A colorful graphic device was

also developed at that time.

It featured basic geometric

forms—the square, the triangle,

and the circle—in repeat

patterns and was used on

banners to announce the

openings of new exhibitions

and to make the entrance

more visible from Fifth Avenue.



126 IDENTIFY

Designing letters with a visual

reference to the product is also

the approach we took withKaya

Group, which makes ropes,

harnesses, and strapping

for the shipping, military, and

construction industries of

Turkey and Europe. These are

marketed under many brand

names. Based on an alphabet

we designed to suggest the look

of letters made from a single line

of rope, the Kaya wordmark

is a distinctive and meaningful

identifier for the company’s

products and numerous

industry-specific catalogs.



138 IDENTIFY

Scripps–Howard (now E. W.

Scripps) is a major media

company that has reinvented

itself many times over recent

years. But its roots, which go

back to the 19th century, are

in the newspaper business.

It was famous for publishing

local papers throughout the

country. In each, the Scripps

ownership was symbolized by

a rendering of a lighthouse.

When Scripps decided to go

public, we were asked to

develop a graphic identity for

the company. An illustrative

mark depicting a lighthouse

seemed appropriate—given the

idea of light as symbolizing the

dissemination of knowledge—

and had historical significance

to the company. This corporate

brochure highlights some of the

company’s major assets, includ-

ing some familiar cartoon

characters.



168 IDENTIFY

The National Geographic

“housemark” (symbol and name)

is used to identify a broad

range of material in a variety of

media. As shown on the book

covers on the facing page, we

recommended that the logo

be used on a dark background

whenever feasible to give

maximum impact to the yellow

box symbol.

The National Geographic

Channel is the one exception

where the name can be

expanded to include another

word. In broadcast, the yellow

box symbol alone often

appears in the lower right of

the screen to clearly identify

the channel.



184 IDENTIFY

The Big Apple Circus is a small,

one-ring circus in the traditional

European style. It’s important

that their graphic identity

conveys a warm, friendly feeling,

which was achieved both with

the choice of subject matter and

with its hand-cut forms. Since

the show changes each year,

the graphics also vary, but

they retain a consistent visual

language. A juggling baby

elephant in this poster (left)

actually inspired the circus to

buy a baby elephant. The next

year’s poster (above) led to

the puchase of a baby buffalo.

The symbol on the facing page

turns the Big Apple into a circus

apple with its stars taken from

the decorative motif on the inside

of the circus tent.



216 IDENTIFY

In 1976, the United States of America celebrated its

200th birthday with parties, events, and presenta-

tions all across the nation. The U.S. Treasury struck an

edition of special bicentennial commemorative coins,

states issued special bicentennial license plates, and of

course government officials from the president down

to the local mayor participated in celebrations of every

sort. In order to present a visually coordinated face to

the nation on its birthday, the bipartisan Bicentennial

Commission contacted Chermayeff & Geismar to pro-

duce an official emblem for the American Revolution

Bicentennial . The design challenge was to find a way to

represent the U.S. without directly employing the clas-

sic (and overused) symbols of the nation: the flag, the

eagle, etc.

The design of this symbol suggests the bunting with

which parades and grandstands are festooned duringpatriotic events. While this mark includes all of the ele-

ments of the American flag—the stars, the stripes, and

the colors—it uses them in a new way.

When we made our formal presentation to the Bi-

centennial Commission, its members liked the design,

but were concerned that, unadorned, it might not be

sufficiently governmental. They wanted a trademark

that would look official and be easy to protect under

trademark law. An emblematic symbol, the mark

wouldn’t be available for just anyone to use—even a

state or local government that wanted to place it on

a book or a souvenir, for example, had to apply for a

license from the Bicentennial Commission. To address

this request for a more authoritative look, we added

a ring of type around the star. With this addition, the

mark was officially adopted.

The symbol was put into use all over the country. We

developed extensive guidelines for how the mark was

to be used and formats for special wording for various

states, cities, and towns. The mark helped unite the

diverse events and celebrations, reports, and studies

that were undertaken throughout the country.

The bicentennial mark has appeared on thousands ofapplications, from a tiny postage stamp to the side of

a giant shuttle silo. It was even placed by NASA on

the planet Mars. This wide size range is perhaps the

most extreme example of the important test we give

all our trademark designs: every one must be compel-

ling and interesting enough to be rendered in a large

format, yet simple and focused enough to work on a

very small scale.

The symbol for the United

States Bicentennial celebration

grows out of the bunting

commonly used at political

rallies, but does so in a

dynamic and meaningful way.

Extensive guidelines for

the use of the trademark were

published as a brochure.



220 IDENTIFY

Another approach for designing

an anniversary mark is to put

the focus on the number of years

being celebrated.

On the occasion of The Museum

of Modern Art’s 50th Anni-

versary, a bold mark was

designed using an artistic play

on the numerals 5 and 0. The

design was used extensively on

print materials, banners, and

signs. The shopping bag shown

above featured an animated

version of the trademark, with

the elements coming together

to form the symbol.

Armani Exchange’s 20th

Anniversary was commemo-

rated with the A|XX mark

shown on the facing page.

Having grown naturally from

the core Armani Exchange

trademark, the anniversary

trademark was able to be

used in place of the standard

identity for the entire year’s

advertising.



224 IDENTIFY

The symbol for Pilobolus Dance

Theatre, a modern dance

company, was first introduced

on a poster announcing the

group’s initial run of perfor-

mances at the Joyce Theater.

The name is broken onto

three lines and stacked, in an

arrangement that suggests

the many stacked and odd

formations that the Pilobolus

dancers assume in their

performances.



54

ISBN-10: 1-4403-1032-7

ISBN-13: 978-1-4403-1032-4

US $45(CAN $4

E A N

Y1292

Some things in life come and go, but the Chermayeff & Geismar

logos are eternal.”

Isaac Mizrahi

The design achievements of Chermayeff & Geismar have so

deeply permeated the visual landscape in our daily world that

they have become integral graphic markers of our time. At a

time when visual literacy is more important than ever, this

book is a landmark reference not only in the design field, but

for leaders of all types of corporate and cultural institutions.”

Richard Koshalek, Director

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

This remarkable book testifies to the benefits of collaboration

and sets a very high standard for the entire field to emulate.”

Milton Glaser, Designer

When you scan the history of Chermayeff & Geismar's work,you see America's proud evolution as a leader in culture, inno-

vation, and industry as communicated through design. Pan Am,

Chase Bank, Mobil, NBC, PBS, MoMA are just a few of the

eponymous signposts in Chermayeff & Geismar's long life as

painters of America's prosperity. With this new volume their

intent, process, and philosophy of design can now be shared

with many generations of designers to come.”

John Maeda, President

Rhode Island School of Design

Identify is more than a book—it is a bible of how some of the

most beloved and enduring identities were conceived and

designed. Identify is a must read for those who want to under-

stand how great brands are designed and how great designers

create great brands. In short, it is a masterpiece.”

Debbie Millman, President, AIGA

Their collective influence on America’s graphic design language

cannot be overstated. This book is a record but also a testament.

They have indeed made their mark with many marks. And they

continue to do so.

Steven Heller

Design Columnist, The New York Times

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identify: basic identity designs solutions: the iconic trademarks of chermayeff & geismar

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