Born out of collaboration between two talented people ‒ the musician, rapper and fashion designer Pharrell Williams from the United States and the fashion designer, DJ and producer Nigo from Japan ‒ the clothing retailer Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream offers a wide range of T-shirts, sweatshirts, polos, hats and other apparel. Though the items with the BBC’s logo are available in limited quantities, the brand is well-known to lovers of streetwear style.
Pharrell Williams and Nigo set up Billionaire Boys Club in 2005. Their aim was not only to sell apparel but also to unite like-minded people. As the founders explain the brand was inspired by the belief that “education is one of the biggest gifts in life, and learning and discovering things should be striven for”. By using the word “billionaire” they didn’t mean to show superiority or privilege but to stir up inquisitiveness in people.
The brand has been using the same logo since its establishment. The emblem designed by SK8THING (who has also created numerous labels including BAPE, Neighborhood and Undercover) consists of the image of an astronaut (or rather his head wearing a helmet) and the wordmark which is the brand’s name.
The BBC’s space-themed logo reflects Pharrell’s fascination with space cultivated through the American show “In Search of”.
Besides the astronaut, there is another hint to the space theme. Each letter in the wordmark is smaller in size than the previous one, which makes an impression as if the words are moving in a circle, like orbiting.
The wordmark has a curve that looks like an arch that is why the Billionaire Boys Club logo is often referred to as the arch logo.
The Billionaire Boys Club arch logo, either large scale or small scale, is printed on the front of clothes. Alternatively, the standing astronaut graphic symbol can be used. Besides, the astronaut graphic can be seen on the back by the neckline on T-shirts, sweatshirts and on a variety of other items.
The bold sans serif uppercase typeface is customized to the level of uniqueness. The letters are slightly slanted and stylized adding to the logo’s elegant look and futuristic design.
The regular version of the logo is in gold color. When it is placed on clothes, it comes in a wide range of colors usually contrasting with the main color of the item.