The fashionable Swedish brand strives to be accessible to most consumers, so H&M opted for an uncomplicated logo. The identity has only two letters from the abbreviated company name and a connecting ampersand between them. The customer focus and simplicity of the H&M logo paid off: the clothing manufacturer gained wide popularity. Of course, the quality of products is not in last place.
H&M: Brand overview
Founded: | 1947 |
Founder: | Erling Persson |
Headquarters: |
Stockholm, Sweden |
Website: | hm.com |
Meaning and History
The evolution of the logo of this brand began with the word “Hennes.” This word was on the first version of the company logo. It translated from Swedish means “Her,” which single-handedly flaunted on the original emblem. This continued until the founder of the brand bought another retailer – a competing retail chain.
It was then that the name of the company changed to Hennes & Mauritz and with it the logo. In the same period, designers added a graphic to the verbal designation. But gradually, the phrase was “narrowed” to two letters, which laid the foundation for a recognizable image. The trading network has three basic varieties of the logo and one variation.
What is H&M?
H&M is a popular Swedish company that manufactures and markets a wide range of clothing lines. Its products are available in brand stores around the world. In 2008, the range expanded to household goods.
1947 – 1968
In the year of foundation, the company received a simple logo: a light name on a dark background. The word “Hennes” is written in italics and is positioned at an angle extending upward. This is an interesting psychological technique, as optimists write this way, directing the end of the line not down, but up.
The letters “H” and “S” are uppercase, the rest are lowercase. Behind the word are two lines, so the inscription looks as if it is nailed to the slats. A similar impression is created due to the 3D effect in which the logo is made. The darkening of the field is uneven, with amplification along the upper and right edges.
1968 – 1999
Interestingly, in that period, two emblems arose almost immediately: one in a detailed version, the other in a minimalistic one. Full symbolism included graphic and textual parts. It was the double name “Hennes Mauritz,” obtained after joining another company to the main company. Words are located separately from each other to the left and right of the trademark and made in a thin font in the upper case. Between them is the abbreviation “H & S,” divided by an ampersand and placed in an uneven circle.
The second logo is short and bright. If the first option is presented in black and white, then this one is in deep scarlet. It contains the letters “H & S” made under careless brush strokes – exactly as in the previous version.
1999 – today
The logo of that time acquired intense colors: designers replaced scarlet with dark red. Letters slightly corrected, stretching them out and slightly increasing the slope to the right.
Font and Colors
The modern version consists only of letters and ampersands, so the developers paid great attention to the font. It is individual, italic. Its distinguishing characteristic is the crossbar at the letter “H,” which is much wider than is accepted in the classical spelling and goes beyond the boundaries of the vertical sidewalls. In particular, the developers focused on simplicity, energy, youth, and passion, which influenced the choice of color.
The “H&M” lettering on the logo is in a personalized font. The letters are drawn rather than printed: strokes are of uneven thickness and look like brushstrokes. The horizontal stripe at “H” is beveled and extends far beyond the two vertical lines. Although the typeface was created specifically for the company, it is vaguely similar to Dom Diagonal by Peter Dombrezian.
When it comes to colors, H&M prefers bright reds and whites. The first is used for the inscription, and the second serves as a contrasting background. But this was not always the case: until 1968, the emblem was black and white.
H&M color codes
Venetian Red | Hex color: | #cc071e |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 204 7 30 | |
CMYK: | 0 97 85 20 | |
Pantone: | PMS 1795 C |
What does H&M logo mean?
The H&M logo represents the company itself since it contains nothing but its name. The sloppy but stylish lettering design symbolizes youth and energy because the main target audience of the brand is students and teenagers.
Who made the H&M logo?
Who created the original H&M logo is not disclosed. It is only known that in 1999 it was updated by the designers of the independent Swedish agency BVD. They tweaked the lines a bit to make the letters more harmonious.
Why is H&M logo red?
The creators of the H&M logo made it red to make it bright and memorable. Thanks to this color scheme, the symbol immediately attracts attention.
What is the H&M slogan?
One of the latest H&M slogans is ‘I love GBV.’ The acronym hides the name of the designer Giambattista Valli, although the public associates ‘GBV’ with gender-based violence, which has caused scandals.