ABC Logo
The American Broadcasting Company, famously known as ABC, is a major American television network. It is a part of Disney-ABC Television Group and is owned by The Walt Disney Company.
One of the biggest, oldest and most influential commercial broadcasters in the world, the network has its corporate headquarters in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City.
DESIGN ELEMENTS, HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF ABC LOGO
Widely considered to be one of the most memorable logos ever designed, the ABC logo is known for its effective use of negative space and for brilliantly conveying a clear message to the huge audience of the network.
Shape and Colors of the ABC Logo
The ABC logo has underwent a number of redesigns since the network’s inception in 1943. The oldest-known emblem was introduced in late 1943 and featured a symbol of a microphone, and the characters “T” and “V” on its left and right ends respectively. The company name “ABC” was vertically placed inside the microphone icon.
In 1961, Paul Rand, one of the greatest graphic designers in history, was given the task to redesign the ABC logo. The logo he presented comprised of a simple black circle with the company name – “abc” – in lower case letters. His version became the foundation of the well-defined and cohesive advertising and communications of the network. The clever use of negative space carries a clear, unequivocal and consistent message to the huge audience of the network.
A 3D version of the ABC logo was unveiled in 2007; in an attempt to give it a more modernistic, glossier, trendy and eye-catching touch.
Font of the ABC Logo
As one of the most iconic media logos in design history, the ABC logo has retained its simple font treatment for almost half a century. The selection of Bauhaus family font back in the 1960s was experimental, brave and remarkably elegant at the same time – especially when the use of computer graphics was nearly absent and this particular font could be easily duplicated.
Further Reading on ABC