Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd. is a Japanese company producing paints, coatings, and fine chemicals. It has a presence in over 20 countries, from Singapore, Malaysia, and China to the United Kingdom and Germany. Its revenue in 2020 reached $6.31 billion.
Currently, there are two versions of the Nippon Paint logo in use. An older corporate logo, which was introduced in 1984, has a red circle in the center. A newer brand logo adopted in 2010 is based on a stylized “n.”
What is Nippon Paint
Founded in 1881, Nippon Paint is the world’s fourth-largest paint manufacturer based on revenue in 2020. It is headquartered in Oyodo Kita, Kita-ku, Osaka.
The history of the company can be traced back to 1881, when the brand named Komyosha, created by Jujiro Moteki, began to produce and sell marine paint products. In 1896, the name was changed to Komyo KG, but only two years later, the company was renamed Nippon Paint Manufacturing Co.
The symbolism behind the 1984 logo is crystal clear, especially for those who live in the brand’s native country, Japan. The red circle against a white background comes from the Japanese flag, where it is used as a symbol of the sun. In other words, for a Japanese company, such a logo is the same as a stars and stripes logo would be for an American company.
The company didn’t leave the design unchanged, though, and made a creative touch by adding an intricate visual effect. It can be interpreted as a combination of mirror reflections or reflections on the water. In any way, that’s a truly unique representation of a universal symbol, which makes this logo successful.
The blue lettering below, which might symbolize the ocean under the rising sun, is clean and perfectly legible.
When Nippon Paint created a 50/50 joint venture with Bee Chemical in 1954, a Nippon Paint logo featuring a bee was used. The insect looked pretty realistic, with plenty of details. The brand became Nippon’s property in 2006.
This is when the iconic red “n” emblem made its debut. The letter was red, and it was placed inside a dark blue box.
Originally, it was used side-by-side with the bee emblem with the words “Nippon Paint” above. Alternatively, the “n” emblem could be used on its own.
The “n” became the main Nippon logo, which was used independently. Here, the lettering “Nippon Paint” in small glyphs was added below. It was given in black capitals placed inside a white stripe. The “n” also had a white outline, to make it stand out against the dark background.
There are several variations, each centered around the red “n” with a white outline. In all of them, the shade of blue is lighter than in the 1994 logo. The box was also updated – it has a white outline, and two of its corners are rounded: the lower left-hand corner and the upper right-hand corner. Also, the wordmark is now italicized.
In one version, the name of the brand is placed under the “n” and is set in small letters. There are also horizontal logos. In one of them, the name of the brand is written in a single line, whereas in the alternative version, it is written in two lines.
Red, dark blue, and white constitute the palette of the Nippon Paint logo. Typically, the wordmark is blue over the white background. However, you may also come across a logo, where the wordmark in white is placed inside a dark blue rectangle.
The italicized type adds some implied motion.