In 1956, IBM had an identity crisis. With the company poised to capitalize on the emerging information-technology boom, its new chief executive, Thomas Watson Jr., found a disconnect between the company’s cutting-edge computer business and its hollow three-letter logo in a typeface called Beton Bold.
In earlier decades, a corporate logo didn’t have to do much more than reinforce a company’s longevity and reliability. But by the mid-1950s, a logo also needed to make a bold graphic statement—like CBS’s eye, unveiled in 1951. By embracing modernist design, IBM hoped to position itself as a seamless...
Read more