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When it comes to minimalist logos, Samsung logo stands out. However, it was not as simple as we see today. So, what changes Samsung’s logo went through? We will explore its history in this blog along with its font and color theory.
Samsung is a leading global electronics brand that makes all household items. People know Samsung for its high-quality standards and innovation. The company’s phones, cameras, and many other products are popular for their unique designs and quality. Its logo is amongst the most recognizable visuals today in the world.
Let’s decipher what does it mean and what is its history.
Brief History of Samsung
The electronic giant started its journey in 1938 as a small trading company and steadily grew as a trustworthy brand worldwide. It was in the 1960s that Samsung started manufacturing electronic items. By the 1980s, the company entered the mobile phone market.
In the 2000s, the company introduced its Galaxy series of mobile phones, which soon gained popularity due to their stylish designs and high-end features.
Today, Samsung is among the leading brands offering various electronics items, especially smartphones.
Samsung Logo History
The Samsung logo has evolved over the decades from a complex design to a simple wordmark today. Here is the Samsung logo history:
1938 – Complex logo having lots of text
In 1938, Samsung came up with its first logo, which is nowhere similar to today’s logo, representing the brand. It was a small company back then. As you can see, its logo design has Korean roots as an identity.
The first black-and-white logo had three stars inside a big circle, some stripes, and a stylized wheat ear. Hangul letters of Korean script were extensively used outside of the circle.
So, the first company logo was a complex design with many elements jampacked in a little space. However the purpose of such a logo was to introduce a new brand in the Korean electronic market.
1958 – Simple and clean logo in color
In 1958, Samsung recreated its logo drastically by completely changing its design. The new logo had three red stars encased in a circle and an outdoor square shape. This time, the company replaced its previous complex logo with a simple design. The new logo had a more straightforward look.
The three stars remained part of the design as the brand’s visual identity. It was a simple and legible design that became the basis of its future logos.
The red color was introduced to the logo for the first time to hint at the beginning of the color TVs. Also, the square shape represented the shape of the TVs in those times.
1969 – A starry logo with the brand name
In 1969, Samsung had ambitions to expand its electronics business beyond Korea. The company name appeared in stylized bold letters. That symbolized innovation and dynamism.
This time, the logo redesign comprises three-star elements placed on one side of the brand name. Previously, the stars were encased in an oval and square-shaped shape. Now, the stars lined up on one side on their own.
The stars were in red and white color palette to evoke the passion and uniqueness of the brand in its field. Also, the company name was in big and bold letters to evoke the brand’s authority in its target market.
1993 – Logo with an oval shape background
When Samsung redesigned its logo in 1993, it wanted to reflect its growing status as a prominent electronic brand. So, the logo introduced the oval shape as a significant element.
The oval shape of the custom logo design is recognizable as the symbol of unity, balance, fertility, and immortality. Also, the blue color of the oval shape evoked universality, which reflected that the brand was acceptable worldwide. So, this addition to the design highlighted the company’s global ambitions.
2005 – Present – A minimalist logo
In 2015, Samsung removed all the extra and unnecessary elements from its logo design. The previous blue background’s oval shape was no longer present in the new logo. This time, it was just the company name in dark blue.
It was a simple 2D design mobile phone logo after removing the 3D glossy effect. Today’s logo has a modern, cleaner design that goes well with the digital world.
Samsung Logo Elements
Today, the Samsung logo is amongst the most recognizable symbols in the electronics market worldwide. It is because of the specific elements the logo uses. Viewers spot the logo immediately due to those familiar design elements. Here are the Samsung logo elements:
Shape
As we go through the evolution of the Samsung logo, we find that the company used mainly square and circular shapes. The first text-based logo, in black and white, had a simple square shape design. The square shape was huge enough to draw people’s attention.
In the next phase of redesigning the logo, the company shifted the square shape on one side of the brand name. This time, the square shape in red had a circular shape inside. In 1993, the brand opted for an oval shape to reflect the universal approach of its electronic products. So, the brand name had an oval-shaped background in blue. Today, the logo is simply a wordmark with the company name in no specific shape.
Color
Samsung had its first logo in black and white. The first Samsung logo used grey, black, and white. This color scheme was helpful in printing and packaging in those days.
Later, when the era of color television started, the company applied logo color theory to its brandmark, which was red on one side of the design. Red evoked the passion and aggression of the company in making electronic items. The rest of the logo was still in black.
Another round of color changes in the logo occurred in 1993 when blue was introduced in the oval-shaped background.
At present, the logo is a wordmark in Samsung blue, which gives it a distinctive identity.
Font
The first black and white Samsung logo had a Korean script. Later, when the brand expanded in the world market, it switched to English. So, the company opted for a straightforward sans-serif Samsung logo font resembling Helvetica.
In the 1980s, the font became thicker and broader to reflect the brand’s authenticity in its target market. Since then, the broader sans serif font of the company name in the logo has helped build brand identity.
This is how the Samsung logo has evolved over the decades. After starting on a humble note as a black and white design, today’s logo is a simple but effective wordmark in blue.
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Wrapping Up
Samsung is a leading electronic company in the world. Its logo is a famous symbol in its target market. However, the logo design changed with the company’s new marketing requirements. It evolved from 1938 as a complex black-and-white design to a modern minimalist wordmark today.