Highways, roads, and autobahns – everything is capable of conquering a new brand of cars. Economical and lightweight, it leaves behind all competitors. The Infiniti logo indicates a leader in speed and performance.
Infiniti: Brand overview
Founded: | November 8, 1989 |
Founder: | Nissan |
Headquarters: |
Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan |
Website: | infiniti.com |
Meaning and History
The brand of premium cars was named Infiniti, which is consonant with another word in the English language – Infinity. The specialists engaged in naming replaced the last letter “y” with “i” to show the brand’s prospects, its desire to go beyond the generally accepted framework. In this case, the original value (“infinity”) was also taken into account. It expressed a desire to produce a line of powerful and stylish cars with promising technical characteristics. This is exactly the model that Nissan engineers developed in 1989. In the same year, the brand was registered, dozens of car dealerships opened across the country, and for the first time, motorists saw the silver oval logo that looked like an inverted Pac-Man.
In preparation for the debut of the Infiniti brand, the parent company has announced a competition for the best logo and slogan for the new project. The winning option was offered by the advertising agency Lippincott Mercer. The creatives created an oval-shaped emblem with an inward angle. Initially, it was assumed that it should symbolize the road that goes into the distance. And the elliptical figure, according to the designers, personified the globe. So they wanted to play with the word “infinity,” literally depicting an endless road.
But right before the presentation, someone pointed out that the upward angle is similar to Fujiyama, Japan’s tallest mountain. The oval, in turn, resembled the setting sun. The logo creators did not abandon this interpretation and used the proposed decoding to win the competition for the best Infiniti branding. Nissan executives were very pleased with the Fujiyama idea, so the Lippincott Mercer emblem was adopted almost unchanged.
What is Infiniti?
Infiniti is part of the Japanese company Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Since 1989, premium cars have been produced under this brand. They were originally aimed at the US market and opposed Acura and Lexus cars. Remarkably, there is no Infiniti in Japan itself and never has been – the products of this brand are only for export.
1989 – 2004
The Infiniti brand received its iconic logo in 1989, the same time Nissan introduced the first car with that name. The sign was developed by Lippincott Mercer and initially symbolized a road disappearing into the distance. The emblem resembles a three-dimensional circular chart with a missing fragment at the bottom. It is formed by two small narrow black triangles connected by sharp vertices and embedded in an incomplete ring. At the bottom, the word “INFINITI” is written in an uppercase sans-serif font. The inscription has a reduced size and very wide intervals between the letters.
2004 – today
The current graphic symbol is stylized as figurines on car radiators. It has a slight metallic luster, which was achieved due to the color difference: the pattern is outlined in dark gray at the edges, and closer to the middle, the shade brightens up to white. Strong lines around the edges create a 3D effect. In the full version, the logo is supplemented with the word “INFINITI.” The trademark name is gray, without outlines. The strokes in all letters are roughly the same thickness. There are no decorative serifs, as well as any roundings, which makes the characters appear rectangular. This strict geometry visually balances the oval element.
Font and Colors
Nissan Motor Company has embodied in the Infiniti brand its love for technology, brightness, and originality. This is reflected in the premium cars and the logo, which looks as sophisticated as all branded products. A sign that is unique in terms of design can be interpreted in many ways. Some see it as the highest mountain in Japan. Others notice an obvious resemblance to a road stretching into the distance. Still, others believe that the angle at the ellipse’s bottom looks like an inverted V (a sign of victory). Regardless of interpretation, the emblem can be seen as a symbol of the pursuit of new horizons. After all, growth and movement forward are the core values of the car brand.
It is known from official sources that the Infiniti emblem was inspired by an algebraic figure called a lemniscate. This term existed in ancient Greece: the so-called bow, which fastened the wreath of winners in sports competitions. Now the lemniscate is used by mathematicians. It is a curved line in the shape of an infinity symbol.
The brand name is not included in the graphic symbol but is located below the bottom. It is written in a sans-serif typeface that resembles Josef Pro Bold, designed by Ingo Zimmermann. Another similar option is Adrian Frutiger’s Frutiger Next Pro Condensed Bold. All letters have the same stroke width. The word looks minimalistic, which gives it a special charm. Nissan Motor uses a similar font; we are talking about the partial inheritance of logos.
The color palette also matches: Infiniti, like Nissan, has a metallic tint. The designers have combined gray, silver, and white to create an emblem that emphasizes the high-end styling of the cars.
Infiniti color codes
Licorice | Hex color: | #1f191a |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 31 25 26 | |
CMYK: | 0 19 16 88 | |
Pantone: | PMS Neutral Black C |
What does the INFINITI logo mean?
Lippincott Mercer, who designed the Infiniti logo, made it look like a road that goes to the horizon. And the oval part, according to the original concept, was supposed to symbolize the globe. Then someone noticed that the triangle pointing upwards looked like a mountain peak. Therefore, the designers decided to change the interpretation of the emblem and began to say that it was Fujiyama.
What is the font of the Infiniti logo?
The Infiniti logo font is similar to the Frutiger Next Pro Condensed Bold designed by Adrian Frutiger. This is a simple grotesque, consisting of even rectangular lines of the same thickness.