Classic Logo: RCA, 1967

Lippincott & Margulies' 1967 logo for RCA Corporation.

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Radio Corporation of America, since its founding in 1919, had significantly changed. It had evolved from a manufacturer of crystal sets and other electrical products with sales of $2 million to a $3 billion corporation delivering advanced technological capabilities in a diversity of fields. By the mid 1960s it offered over 12,000 products and services, many of which did not exist a decade before.

With these changes in mind, RCA undertook a extensive review of its activities and the perceptions of customers and employees. The conclusion was that its corporate image needed to substantially change to better express its ‘diversity and dynamism’.

The previous logo, exemplified by a circled monogram and lightning bolt, dated back to a time when RCA was devoted to wireless communications. This only accounted for only 2% of total volume at the time of the review. Could a logo devised for a wireless company in the 1920s suggest the diverse operations of RCA in the changing environment of the 1960s and beyond? While the famous CA monogram had already undergone several subtle modifications, it was problematic to use in increasingly stratified contexts. By 1964 it had become obvious to the management at RCA that something needed to be done.

An internal Corporate Identification Committee (CIC) was formed. This consisted of three designers from various divisions of the company, two attorneys, and chairman Mort Gaffin, Manager of Corporate Advertising. The committee members would be responsible for not only commissioning a new logo but also delivering a standardised system that would bring greater uniformity to communications and leverage economies of scale.

The complexity and scale of such a programme, and the objectivity needed for its development required outside assistance. In 1966, Robert Sarnoff had moved from the chairmanship of NBC to the presidency of RCA. He was ‘graphically oriented’ having become aware of the importance of this design during his time at NBC. He saw the need for a vastly broader and more integrated approach, so sought the experience of Lippincott & Margulies (L&M) (Coca-cola, Eastern, FMC, Co-op, Amtrak) based on the firm's experience developing communications systems for other leading corporations.

As part of a ‘diagnostic study’, the L&M team held over a hundred interviews with corporate executives and divisional management. The studio delved deep into RCA history and its aspirations, visited RCA plants, offices, and sales outlets, and analysed visual and verbal communications from building signage to brand and divisional names. They studied each and every way the corporation projected itself to its various audiences, from its own employees to the financial community. Results of this analysis were given to the CIC who then presented their findings to Robert Sarnoff and key RCA executives.

The L&M study highlighted a discrepancy between RCA as a pioneer working in diverse technological fields and what it was communicating. RCA could not be described in simple terms so L&M recommended that RCA be defined by the ‘growing spectrum of its activities’.

As response to this new outlook, proper emphasis would be given to the corporate name, deemphasising ‘Radio Corporation of America’ and changing this to RCA Corporation. This would address the unwieldy nature of a long name and the limitations of being associated with just radio and the borders of the United States. The initials RCA had been commonly used and would be more concise and easier to use going forward. This would then be further enhanced through design.

The logo would be the ‘basis for all graphic implementations’. It would need to be highly flexible, as it would be required to not only be fabricated at scale as signage and reduced down to be printed on corporate stationery but also screened on to a plethora of electric products as small as as vacuum tubes.

As three potential directions emerged it was necessary to show how each would perform within a total system. The initial L&M presentation showed these directions applied to forty different formats. These included stationery, forms, brochures, advertising, packaging and animated signatures for TV commercials.

L&M evaluated each proposal on the basis of how well they preserved the equities of the old monogram, projected the corporate philosophy of delivering on a spectrum of growing activities and functioned across all use cases.

Three concepts were presented, with one being strongly recommended by L&M. This consisted of three block letters as a simple, unique rendering of the most important visual equity of the old monogram.

The bold weight of the letterforms, the mirrored legs of the ‘R’ and ‘A’ and consistent squared counters was said to convey stability and strength whilst also being ‘conceptually pure’. As an ideogram it involved the viewer, with the three letters forming a single unified abstract symbol. The total impact was felt before the letters were read.

In this new simplified and bold form, the logo was stronger, more versatile, impactful and modern. It could be scaled up and down without any loss of character or legibility. There were other advantages to. The horizontal block letters were well-suited to many of RCA’s rectangular applications, whereas the old circle had been described as often sitting uneasily. Its free-standing form provided more effective identification than when enclosed in a circle, allowing for larger letters within the same space. A solid single colour, and the availability and consistent use of Helvetica alongside the new logo afforded RCA a consistency and economy throughout its communications.

The versatility of the new logo permitted dramatic application in different situations. Versions were created to intensify or reduce the overall impact when needed across specific contexts such as packaging and on television. This included solid red and solid black versions, an outlined option, a version of lines and a full colour spectrum logo.

For corporate and financial audiences, the format would be ‘subtle and dignified’; for the governmental audience, technical; for dealers and consumers, promotional.

Signs that carried the new logo in a colour spectrum would then be used to convey colour television ‘forcefully’, while various packaging formats would use a pattern of alternating red and black logotypes to create interest on the shelves.

Sarnoff approved the design in 1967, and a design manual was produced. The new corporate image was introduced to the public at the beginning of 1968. With this, RCA appeared like the dynamic company it was, communicating a ‘fresh imagination’ and ‘youthful vigour’ to consumers, employees, stockholders, the press, the business and financial community.

Robert Sarnoff reported receiving “…hundreds of approving comments from customers and competitors, stockholders and employees.” Later saying that “we were especially encouraged by the enthusiastic response of many creative people-product designers, advertising artists, copywriters, and architects-who felt that the new style would liberate and revitalise their efforts to communicate the dynamism and diversity of the company."

Following a period of acquisitions and sell offs in the late 1980s, trading under the RCA brand ceased, and with it L&M’s RCA logo was retired.

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