10 ORIGINAL COMPANY

LOGOS YOU WOULDNT RECOGNIZE

THEN AND NOW

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

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.

Then Now

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."

Then Now

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.

Then Now

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).

Then Now

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).

Then Now

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.

Then Now

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

Then Now

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.

Then Now

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.

Then Now

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.

Then Now

For more great content, visit:

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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/

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