- One type or element of a logo is the monogram.
We usually think of the initials on a shirt or handkerchief
when we hear the word monogram.
It's a term and approach also used in branding
and identity for one type of a logo.
A monogram is simply the initials of a company,
or at times a single letter.
This is a good solution if the client
has a long and unwieldy name,
say for example,
the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company,
now called 3M.
It also helps move a brand into new territory
by eliminating a name that may no longer apply
or is tied to a specific product or service.
IBM was originally International Business Machines.
One of the first logos was an illustration
of a globe and the full name.
By the time Paul Rand designed the current mark,
IBM had evolved into computers
and did much more than adding machines.
Eliminating the full name and using the acronym
gave IBM a license to expand into other businesses.
One of my favorite monograms is the NASA logo,
designed by Richard Danne.
NASA stands for National Aeronautics
and Space Administration.
That's a mouthful.
Internally, the agency was typically referred to as NASA.
So Danne rode the horse the direction it was riding
and created a clear and simple monogram.
Trying to force people to say
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
had no chance of succeeding.
NASA worked.
Interestingly, Danne's remarkable logo was retired
and replaced with a nod to the original mark,
but retain the acronym.
But there is still hope.
The Danne version recently appeared
on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Other successful monograms include MTV,
which started life with its full name
attached to the letter forms Music television.
ABC is the American Broadcasting Company.
The logo by Paul Rand is made of a series of circles
and one line weight.
The acronym is easier to remember than the full name,
opens the door for international business,
and is more neutral as the brand expands into new areas.
Have you ever wondered about SPAM?
Not the kind we get with emails, but the sandwich meat.
My great aunt made me fried SPAM sandwiches
when I was a child.
Well, actually, it comes from Shoulder of Pork and Ham.
That'd be hard to fit on a can.
The downside of a monogram
is that ubiquity of acronyms in the world.
There are so many versions of a set of initials
that it's easy to confuse them.
Is UBS a bank or television network?
What is ISO or LIL?
When used consistently with heavy exposure
and connection to the product or service,
the upside to a monogram is faster recognition
and the ability to create a brand
with more options than a descriptive name.