Brand Evolution: The Bell System
Name a brand that has existed for over 100 years…
Not sure? Here's one and a leading example — The Bell System, led by Bell Telephone Company, and later known as AT&T, is a brand that has dominated the telephone services industry since its establishment in 1877. The Bell System employed over one million people through the early 1980s.
During these 100 years, the company set out to position itself as the world's most advanced communications organization — and it did just that. But as Saul Bass says best, "How something (a thing) looks is as important as how it works."
The Bell System logo, evolved in 1969 by one of the most prominent logo designers, Saul Bass, was the most extensive corporate re-identity program in the U.S., ever. This undertaking advanced the company visually to match its progress in technology, and challenged traditional corporate logo design globally.
If you have 27-minutes to burn, the original pitch given by Bass's company to the executives of AT&T is available courtesy of AT&T Archives:
Saul Bass later, in 1983, designed the logo for AT&T (the striped/encircled globe), which has remained the foundation for the company to date.
The Bell System, and later AT&T, is a brand that lasted the test of time. Not only did the product last, but the brand identity prevailed amongst the clutter of consumer's everyday lives. And how? By keeping in mind:
Technology will continue to advance. As Bass reminds us, "Where are the visual signals that identify us a pace-setting organization?"
Stay relevant. But, know your values, keep them and represent them visually.
"Certain visual forms can remain contemporary over long periods (of time)," states Bass. Consider legibility, the necessity of each mark, and how the brand identity functions across various applications.
So if you're thinking about brand evolution, remember 8:49 from the pitch...
Marian A. O'Brien, 91
This post is dedicated to my late great aunt, Mirian O'Brien, who devoted her entire career to Bell Telephone Company, later AT&T — to the classiest woman, who always wore brand name.