Think of three resonant, established logos, and, chances are, at least one of them was created by Rand, the father of modern branding. With his succinct philosophy that "the trademark should embody in the simplest form the essential characteristics of the product or institution being advertised," Rand practically created the corporate logo design culture.
Illuminating is the fact that Rand, who almost single-handedly brought European modern graphic design to the United States, got his entire import out of the pages of a magazine--a single copy of Gebraushgrafik, from a tiny bookstore next door to the Brooklyn Paramount theater.
Amusing is Rand's brash presentation style. He usually gave corporate chiefs only one logo to "choose" from, accompanied by a booklet explaining why his design was not merely attractive, but inevitable. "I was convinced that each typographic example on the first few pages was the final logo design," Steve Jobs recalls of Rand's book for NeXT, which showed the four letters, then paired them with the computer's signature black box, and then arranged them in a square. Jobs thought he was getting lovely typography, but Rand's final logo was more than that. "I was not quite sure what Paul was doing until I reached the end. And at that moment I knew we had a solution... Rand gave us a jewel, which in retrospect seems so obvious."
Ironic is the story behind the logo maker's own moniker. "He figured that 'Paul Rand,' four letters here, four letters there, would create a nice symbol," remembers a friend. Then he proceeded to affix the icon of his identity--no naming consultant could have planned it better--to every piece of his work, including that for clients. He threatened to quit when one boss asked him to remove his name from a Dubonnet ad in the 1940s. It was the only advertising he ever had to do. And someone else paid to distribute his brand.Related Article
