Came across a post today that pointed me to a piece about the CBS Eye logo. (thanks scrubbles) The logo was designed by William Golden in 1951. It was designed for screen viewing and with motion in mind. This is quite interesting, because many times a logo or brand is designed first for letterhead or stationary system and it is only later adapted or force fit into other media and uses.

The CBS logo is a brilliant example of symbol design. It has withstood the test of time, of adaptation - color, line treatments, backgrounds etc - without diluting the strength of the mark. The piece also talks about Golden's inspiration for the mark from Shaker and Pennsylvania dutch symbols. Golden said, about his mark "It is used so often that it sometimes seems like a Frankenstein's monster to me, but I am grateful it is such a versatile thing that there seems to be no end to the number of ways it can be used without losing its identity."

Golden was influential in the design world by upgrading the role and responsibility of the designer within the corporate world. To learn more info about Golden and his work, there is a great book about Golden, that was put together by his wife Cipe Pineles after his death that covers his work and his career. The book is long out of print, but you can find it used - I have 2 copies from used book stores. You can also check out this short bio and work featured in the Agha issue of PM Magazine.

Comments

The fact that CBS has been able to use the same logo for 50 years while NBC and ABC have both altered their identity many times.

I can think of only one other logo that has held for so long, or perhaps longer; Coca Cola.