Fans of the story about “The Boy Who Lived” know well what the Harry Potter logo looks like. It is a trademark of the franchise, as it adorns book covers and movie intros, creating an intriguing atmosphere. It evokes magic and the Middle Ages.
Harry Potter: Brand overview
Today, there is probably not a single person in the civilized world who does not know who Harry Potter is. The name of this fictional character was on the lips in 1997 when the first book by English writer Joanne Rowling about an unusual school of magic, its teachers, and students was published. Now, the image of a boy in glasses and with a magic wand in his hand, as well as the unusual spelling of his name, are as recognizable as, for example, the logo of McDonald’s or Adidas.
Meaning and History
The first Harry Potter book was published on July 26, 1997. As Rowling herself later admitted, she offered the manuscript to many publishers over the years but was rejected everywhere. The story of magic and strange characters seemed uninteresting to the reader.
But after the release of the first part, the book immediately became a bestseller. To date, seven books have been released, and 10 Potteriana movies have been made (8 on the books plus spin-offs and sequels). The books and movies have been translated into 80 languages and have sold almost 700 million copies – it is the most-read literary work in history. The number of movie viewings doesn’t even lend itself to an accurate count – the box office grosses nearly $2 billion in theaters.
The trademark “Harry Potter” was patented in 1997 for the design of books.
What is Harry Potter?
Harry Potter is a series of fantasy novels about a young wizard who must save the world. The inspirational story has spawned a global media franchise, including games, movies, animated films, theme parks, and more. The fantasy book series for children was written by J.K. Rowling and began publishing in 1997.
1997 – today
In the first English edition, the title had a rather minimalistic presentation – the hero’s name was written in the gothic Cochin Bold font with a small staggered arrangement of letters.
After the first success in Europe, the book was reprinted in the USA – then a special spelling of the letter P appeared – a zigzag lightning bolt was added to it at the bottom, symbolizing the magic power coming from the magic wand. Another association is the scar on Harry Potter’s forehead, which he received at the age of 1 from the hands of the dark wizard Voldemort. The color of the letters on the emblem is black.
At the same time, a short emblem was created. It consists of the recognizable letters H and P, surrounded by an interrupted oval and a flying ball with wings. Everything is in gold color.
2001 – 2002
In 2001, with the release of the first film, the logo changed color to gold with shadows giving the impression of volume. A crumpled foil effect is also used.
2004 – 2011
The logo changed color again – to gray-silver with randomly placed black shadows. This gave the words a special mystery and eerie and emphasized the dark atmosphere of the 3rd part of the film. This decision was made by the director of the movie, Alfonso Cuaron. The TM symbol was added to the bottom right – a sign that the trademark is officially registered and protected. Subsequently, the entire filmography of “Potteriana” was made with this logo.
Font and Colors
Since 2011, the letters have changed color and small proportion again. White letters on a black background are relevant today; black on white, yellow, gold, and silver lettering can also be used. As stated by the owners of the label, the color scheme is not a unique part of the logo. The Cochin Bold font has been slightly modified – the letters are slightly wider, and the sharp corners have been softened – and has since been individually named “Harry Potter.”
The Harry Potter logo will forever remain in history in its unique spelling, and the author of the book promises five more installments.
The Harry Potter lettering looks recognizable. The designers used long curved serifs, broken strokes, and jumping letters to convey the mood of the magical world. The personalized font features a triangular upper “t,” a capital “P” with a zigzag lightning bolt, and an asymmetrical “H” with vertical lines resembling columns of different heights.
A simple black-and-white logo is used, although earlier, there were brighter variants: the inscription was stylized first in gold and then in silver. Designers tried to convey the shine and texture of precious materials with the help of gradients. However, the imitation of metal did not catch on, and the developers returned to the black-and-white version.
Harry Potter color codes
Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |