The refreshed M&S logo, which was the result of the 2014 redesign, seems to put more emphasis on the brand’s experience and longevity.
The history of the M & S chain of stores is considered to have started in 1884. In that year Michael Marks, a Jewish immigrant, moved from Hartlepool port, where he kept a small shop, to Leeds. There he met Thomas Spencer, and soon the budding merchants created a joint company, which without much originality, called Marks and Spencer.
The first stall of the same name was opened in West Yorkshire, in the famous Leeds Kirkgate Market.Marks & Spencer traded only British goods, emphasizing this in every possible way.
Today the retailer successfully trades in groceries, home goods, and food, and is also developing its own restaurant business.
What is M&S?
M&S is the name of a famous British retailer, which was established by Michael Marks in 1884. The company is known to sell exclusively British brands. The first Marks and Spencer counter opened at Leeds Kirkgate Market, where a gold memorial clock is now installed to commemorate the event.
The earliest Marks and Spencer logo, which was introduced in the 1930s, did not look the least bit like the current one. It consisted of an intricate monogram placed inside a round black-and-white frame.
The 1950s logo was also a monogram inside a round frame, yet it featured a different typeface.
In the 1970s the retailer switched to the wordmark including its full name. It was given in a traditional serif typeface and featured the black-and-white color scheme.
The 1988 redesign brought about a new color. The dark shade of turquoise was used from 1988 to 2007.
The wordmark itself went through subtle changes in 2000. The serifs were gone leaving the design cleaner.
The wordmark with lime green elements was introduced in 2004 as a part of the Your M&S campaign, but it did not become standard until 2007. The emblem featured a simple mono-linear sans-serif typeface.
While the 2004 emblem looked youthful and energetic, the current Marks and Spencer logo has a more traditional, even retro feel. This impression is emphasized by the lettering “EST. 1884”.
The minimalistic yet stable monogram from the primary Marks & Spencer badge is set in a clean geometric sans-serif typeface with simple shapes and distinctive contours of the uppercase characters. The closest fonts to the one, used in this insignia, are probably, Ostent Regular, or Sintesi Sans Light, with some minor modifications of the letters’ contours.
As for the color palette of the M & S visual identity, it s based on a usual fashion and retail industry combination of black and white, which looks strong and evokes a sense of excellence no matter the background the badge is placed on. Black is a symbol of reliability and professionalism, which shows the company as a stable and powerful one.
The clean and simple type had a bit more white space between the letters, as if letting them breath. The horizontally-sliced terminals have been replaced by the slanted ones. The font itself is bolder, with more pronounced flat vertices at the top of the letter “M”.
The lime green of the previous M&S logo was replaced by black in 2014. The simple color scheme helps to emphasize the brand’s long history and experience.