The logo of Canon, a Japanese optomechanical and electronics company, is based on the concept of the goddess Canon. The leading brand in its field uses a recognizable and concise logo that needs no explanations or additional visual support.
Canon: Brand overview
Founded: | 10 August 1937 |
Founder: | Goro Yoshida, Saburo Uchida, Takeo Maeda |
Headquarters: |
Ōta, Tokyo, Japan |
Website: | global.canon |
Meaning and History
The Canon logo has evolved several times. The developers changed the font and color, leaving only the general concept.
What is Canon?
Canon is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, engaged in manufacturing lenses, cameras, scanners, semiconductors, medical equipment, printers, and production devices. It was founded in 1937 under the name Precision Optical Industry Co., which was changed after ten years.
1934 – 1937
The first company logo contains many small details. It depicts the multi-armed goddess Kwanon, who is believed to help people. She sits in a lotus position inside a burning black ring. Above is the word “CAMERA,” and below is “KWANON.” The name of the mythological creature is written in fiery letters.
1934 – 1935
The artists kept the word “Kwanon,” removing all other elements. To make the logo attractive, a curly handwritten font was used.
1935 – 1953
In 1935 the first Canon logo appeared. It was developed by a graphic designer who was involved in advertising brands.
1953 – 1956
Typographers have made the lines thicker and the type more confident. Now the word stands out noticeably.
1956 – today
In 1956, the company introduced a red version of the emblem. It is based on a modified 1935 logo.
Font and Colors
Canon is the foundation of the brand’s visual identity. This word was coined from the name of the goddess of mercy Kwanon, who served as the basis for the modern brand concept. Designers opted for typographic design, avoiding hand-drawn elements.
Exclusive logo font designed by Italian Gio Fuga. It is characterized by small sharp serifs at the top of the letters, rounded shapes, and uneven line thickness. The chamfered letter-space gives the impression that the “O” is tilted to the left.
There are two versions of the palette: red and white as the main and black and white as a secondary. They are used equally depending on the color of the context space. Red symbolizes determination and determination, embodying Canon’s core values , which is why the designers chose it.
Canon color codes
Safety Red | Hex color: | #bf1920 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 191 25 32 | |
CMYK: | 0 87 83 25 | |
Pantone: | PMS 485 C |