The earliest Nikon logo, which was unveiled in 1917, included not only the word “Nikko” (that was the company’s name back then), but also its translation into Japanese. This was done in order to reflect the company’s roots. Since then, the wordmark has gone through a long series of modifications.
Meaning and history
In 1930 the original color scheme was reversed, while the old insignia was replaced by the new one: “Nippon Kogaku Tokyo”. In 1953 the shield shape was gone, leaving a minimalistic wordmark with the current name of the company. In 1965 it was placed into a black oval shape, over the yellow background. In 1979 the oval shape disappeared, while the characters acquired the appearance familiar to us now. When the two blue bars logo was introduced in 1988, it was meant to be an alternative for the standard symbol.
In 2003 the latest version of the Nikon emblem was introduced. The wordmark was placed into a rectangular shape. The yellow background was enhanced by a graphic element of sequential rays.
Font
The current Nikon logo features a customized sans-serif type, which is slightly italicized.
Color
The color scheme includes a bright, crisp hue of yellow, symbolizing youthfulness and energy, and black, representing such concepts as “high quality” and “elegance”.
