Olympus Logo
Olympus Corporation is a world-renowned Japanese firm that manufactures cameras, endoscopes and various other products related to optics and reprography. Founded in 1919 as “Takachiho Seisakusho”, the company started out as a maker of microscopes and thermometers. Its current name was adopted in 1947.
With an annual revenue of ¥847,105 billion as of 2011, the company employs 40,000 people across the world.
DESIGN ELEMENTS, HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF OLYMPUS LOGO
Shape, Colors and Font of the Olympus Logo
The earliest version of the Olympus logo was introduced in February 1921. It was featured on products such as microscopes and other medical equipment. Sporting “Olympus Tokyo”, the logo still appears on some official documents. Another corporate logo which bore the company’s old name – OIC (Optical Industrial Company) – appeared on the GT-I and GT-II endoscope models and various other products.
The company introduced a simple, typographic logo in 1970. It was designed with a stress on sustainability, highlighting the exceptional quality and sophistication of the Olympus products.
The current version of the Olympus logo was launched in 2001. It comprises of a yellow line in the lower side of the logo, sometimes referred to as the “Opto-Digital Pattern”. This line symbolizes light and boundless possibilities of digital technology. It also makes a reference to the innovative approach adopted by the cutting-edge Opto-Digital Technology of the Olympus Corporation. The company name is featured in blue color, using a slightly modified form of the very simple yet powerful Helvetica typeface.