Verbatim is a Japanese brand of data memory storage devices manufacturer, owned by Mitsubishi. It was founded in 1969 in the USA and acquired by Mitsubishi in 1990. Since 2014 Verbatim is focused on 3D printing materials production.
Meaning and history
The now world-famous American manufacturer of storage media, Verbatim, was founded in 1969 by Reid Anderson.Originally the brand was called Information Terminals Corporation (ITC) and specialized in the production of media on magnetic tape. The company’s founder, Reid Anderson, was a physicist by profession. Anderson began production in a garage setting and took the firm to a new position by launching a performance-enhanced cassette fast enough. The current brand name did not appear until 1973, but the firm did not achieve success until 1979.
By the late 1970s, the company had become a leader in the floppy disk segment, and in 1982 it formed a joint venture with Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation called Kasei Verbatim. In 1985, Verbatim was bought out by Eastman Kodak while retaining the Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation joint venture, and in 1990 it was acquired by Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation itself.
In 1994, Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation merged with Mitsubishi Petrochemical to form Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, and Verbatim was taken over by the newly formed organization. Ten years later, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation and Mitsubishi Pharma Corporation formed Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation, which became the new owner of Verbatim. After another 14 years, Verbatim was sold to CMC Magnetics in 2019.
Today the brand’s products are represented in more than 120 countries of the world.
What is Verbatim?
Verbatim is a global company, which was established in 1969 in the United States, and has always been focused on the production of data storage devices. Throughout the years Verbatim has changed several owners, and in 2019 was sold to CMC Magnetics.
1978 – 2007
The first name of the brand was ITC, Information Terminals Corporation, which was changed to Verbatim in 1978, which is translated from Latin as “word for word”. The name reflects the brand’s value of accurate data recording, without missing a word.
2007 – 2024
The Verbatim logo is very recognizable all over the globe. Its bright and welcoming color palette makes the logo friendly and fresh.
Blue and red on the white background reflect the brand’s energy and power, as well as its reliability, strength and warm attitude to its consumers.
The Verbatim logo is composed of two parts: a wordmark and an emblem. The brand’s nameplate is executed in classic serif sans font with a slightly vertically stretched “V”. The first letter makes the wordmark look sharp and modern.
The brand’s icon is a red square with a white “V” on it. The emblem’s “V” is classic in its size and form, which makes an interesting contrast with the same letter of the wordmark.
The Verbatim logo is strong and timeless. Classic font and traditional color palettes how the brand’s authority and expertise, while the contrast and small elements such as “V” make the logo modern and friendly.
2024 – Today
The Verbatim logo is a striking and modern design, combining a bold, simplistic graphic with clean, contemporary typography. The logo is split into two primary elements: an abstract icon and the brand name. The icon is positioned to the left and consists of a stylized “V” formed by two red, geometric shapes that resemble a pair of wings or an open book. This design choice not only adds a dynamic and energetic feel to the logo but also subtly hints at the company’s focus on data storage and digital products, as the “V” can be interpreted as a symbol of verification and reliability.
To the right of the icon is the brand name “verbatim” rendered in a lowercase, sans-serif typeface. The font is sleek and rounded, which complements the modern aesthetic of the icon. The use of black for the text creates a strong contrast against the red icon, enhancing the logo’s visibility and making it memorable. The lowercase approach gives the brand a friendly and approachable feel while maintaining professionalism and authority. The spacing between the letters is well-balanced, ensuring readability and a visually appealing flow.
Overall, the Verbatim logo effectively communicates the brand’s identity and values. The red and black color scheme evokes a sense of urgency and trustworthiness, which is fitting for a company that prides itself on providing high-quality storage solutions. The minimalist design is both timeless and versatile, allowing the logo to be easily adapted across various mediums and applications without losing its impact.
Font and Color
The sharp and elegant lettering from the primary Verbatim logo is set in the title case of a bold serif typeface with stable bars of the characters and sharp playful serifs on their ends. The closest fonts to the one, used in this insignia, are, probably, LP Lazise Lapidar, Spirits Sharp, or Saga Semi Bold, but with the contours of the characters modified.
As for the color palette of the Verbatim visual identity, it is based on one of the most traditional tricolors: red, blue, and white. It is not only the most patriotic color combination, but also a mix of shades, which represents a high quality, reliability, and professionalism, showing the brand as a powerful and confident one.