Levis: Brand overview
Founded: | May 1, 1853 |
Founder: | Levi Strauss |
Headquarters: |
San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Website: | levistrauss.com |
Meaning and History
During the existence of the brand, it has changed nine logos, the first of which arose in the year of foundation.
What is Levis?
This is the brand’s name under which Levi Strauss & Co. manufactures denim. The company that owns it appeared in 1853. At first, she sold denim pants to gold miners. Then they began to buy railroad workers, loggers, and cowboys. In the 1950s, jeans were worn by representatives of subcultures, and only then did they enter the everyday wardrobe.
1853 – 1892
The debut version was very simple and contained only the name, composed of the name and surname of the owner. It is written in a narrow rectangle, supplemented with the logogram “&” and the letter “C,” denoting the word “company.”
1892 – 1925
This period required a redesign of the emblem because a unique development appeared in the assortment, which became legendary. These are blue jeans with rivets. Their authors are Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss. To advertise the product and arouse demand for it, they decided to convince customers affordably that it was incredibly durable trousers.
But many in the Wild West did not know how to read or were not native speakers of English at all. As a result, the owner of the enterprise used the drawing. So the company-innovator got a logo-picture of The Two Horse Brand. It depicts two horses that pull jeans in different directions, and around there are many explanatory inscriptions. The logo color palette is monochrome because the main emphasis is on the strength of the goods.
1925 – 1929
In 1925, blue jeans were already in high demand; therefore, explanation in the form of a picture was unnecessary. As a result, the entrepreneur changed the logo. He got a label with which to label any product. It was a name written in red letters on a light background.
1929 – 1943
This period is legendary in the history of the logo because the era of the abbreviated name of the company formed on behalf of the founder’s name has begun. They became the word “Levi’s.”
1943 – 1949
During this period, the emblem received a wide substrate, dark letters, and the inscription “America’s finest overall.” The phrase is made in capital letters and is located below.
1949 – 1954
After World War II, the logo changed color by placing white lettering on a red-orange background.
1954 – 1969
This is one of the iconic periods: it was then that the brand red color appeared on the label. In addition to the short company name, the label also has the phrase “Vintage clothing,” written in a simple, simple, sans-serif font.
1969 – 2003
In 1968, the original logo form was introduced into use – in the form of spreading bat wings. It shows the name of the manufacturer. The letters are elongated, in upper case, except “e,” which is made lowercase.
2003 – today
Changes made during this period are minimal. The developers intensified the color to dark red and reduced the height of the letters.
In 2011, Turner Duckworth’s agency designers reviewed some details of the logo and adapted it to the present. For better identification, they “cut off” the brand symbol because there was not enough space on the label. Thanks to this, the recognizable shape of the logo in the form of a bat, along with the text, was preserved. But the visual changes from the 2003 Levis logo are almost invisible.
Font and Colors
All trademarks of the company bear its name derived from the surname Levi Strauss. Thus, the name of the entrepreneur who created the fashion brand in 1853 is immortalized in them. The inscription is located against a trapezoidal figure’s background with an uneven base: the lower part has two arched indentations. Until 1969, the word “LEVI’S” was placed inside rectangles of various shapes and sizes. An exception is a period from 1892 to 1925 when a complex multicomponent emblem existed.
The logo is written in URW Linear Wide Ultra Bold. This is a stylized geometric sans serif by Albert-Jan Pool. The color scheme includes a dark shade of red. In the past, lighter tones were used, closer to orange. The main color is complemented by white: it serves as general background and contrasts the word “LEVI’S” inside a bright geometric figure.
Levis color codes
Red | Hex color: | #c41230 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 196 18 48 | |
CMYK: | 0 91 76 23 | |
Pantone: | PMS 200 C |
What does Levi’s logo represent?
The current Levi’s logo represents the brand name. It is written in white letters inside a red polygon that looks like an inverted trapezoid with two semicircular notches at the bottom. This is a recognizable element of visual identification, but there are no hidden meanings.
What is the Levis logo called?
The Levis logo is called Batwing because it has a similar shape. It can be visually divided into two symmetrical parts with side corners (top and bottom). Semicircular cutouts add similarities with the wing of a bat.
Why is the Levis logo red?
In the mid-1930s, Levi’s jeans were being counterfeited by competitors, so the manufacturer had to decorate the seam of the back pocket with a small red label so that customers could distinguish the original from the copy. This color was subsequently carried over to the logo, although the hue changed as the brand evolved.