The Leica logo is like a camera flash, capturing the company’s name. The emblem connects the brand with its famous products. The sign encourages pressing the button to take a new frame for the collection of happy memories.
Leica: Brand overview
Founded: | 1927 |
Founder: | Ernst Leitz |
Headquarters: | Wetzlar, Germany |
Website: | leica-camera.com |
Leica is a German manufacturer of optical equipment, professional cameras, and camcorders, founded in 1914. The headquarters are located in Wetzlar. The production employs 1.5 thousand workers. Products are sold in 20 countries through 70 branded stores.
Meaning and History
Throughout its century-long history, Leica has demonstrated remarkable consistency in its choice of logos. The emphasis is on the inscription, which resembles a camera. Its font has not changed throughout the brand’s history. The clever use of film loops has made the emblem memorable. In later designs, the central element was placed on various backgrounds, with changes to the thickness and color of the letters reflecting different periods in the company’s life.
What is Leica?
Leica is a historic German company that produces professional premium-segment cameras and accessories for photography. Among its famous product lines are the M, Q, SL cameras and Summicron, APO-Telyt, Noctilux lenses. The company also manufactures scopes, binoculars, and microscopes. The company’s revenue amounts to 408 million euros.
1927 – 1935
In 1927, the manufacturer was renamed from Leitz (after founder Ernst Leitz) to Leica (a combination of the first syllables of the surname Leitz and the word Camera), leading to a change in the emblem.
The new logo featured the inscription Leica in cursive. The first letter was transformed: the lower glyph was elongated, widened, and wrapped around the entire word. This technique depicts unrolling film. The sequential connection of the letters represents the frames shot one after another, symbolizing negatives collected on a single strip.
1932 – 1954
1948 – 1968
1935 – today
1986 – today
In 1986, a modern factory was built, allowing for the production of more technically advanced products. This led to the introduction of the Leica M6 camera, which was very popular among photographers. The change was marked by a new logo.
The updated emblem consists of a red circle with the name Leica inscribed inside. The appearance of the background is a new concept in the brand’s identity. The addition of color to the logo is also used for the first time.
This move reveals the multifaceted nature of the brand, celebrating progress, and transitioning to modern equipment and technology. It draws an analogy with the leap from black-and-white to color photography.
The circle represents the camera lens through which the company views the world. The shape is a symbol of harmony and completeness, indicating a full range of products for photography.
The circular shape of the background also symbolizes camera and photography equipment details, sights, and other optical products, most of which are similar in shape.
The red hue conveys a sense of speed, the desire to capture an important moment. The brand’s products offer numerous opportunities to see beautiful places and record significant events.
The white name indicates novelty. In the focus of the brand’s camera, it constantly changes, improves, and offers modern products. This is one aspect of its philosophy – unwavering quality and cutting-edge technology.
Font and Colors
The combination of red and white embodies boldness, leadership, and the development of new solutions and products:
- Red – love for one’s work, the ability to capture beauty, and the inspiration brought by creativity with the brand’s products.
- White – transparent lenses, a clear, unclouded view, and the opportunity to see the world anew through the lens.
The cursive font with ornaments on the first letter transports the viewer to the brand’s historical past and points to the beginning of the 20th century when the first Ur-Leica appeared. The elegant underline of the word hints at the compactness of the devices and their elongated shape. The line resembles film, as this model established the standard for using 35-millimeter film in photography. The upper loop of the L is reminiscent of a flash mounted on the device.
Leica color codes
Pigment Red | Hex color: | #ee1c24 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 238 28 36 | |
CMYK: | 0 88 85 7 | |
Pantone: | PMS Bright Red C |