Monday, January 28, 2008

Blog Entry #1

The Staples logo is very well known because it's simple and it works. This is interpretive type because the L in the logo is a stylized staple. This very simple change in the letter catches your eye, which then relates back to the idea of the business: office supplies. Even though the rest of the logo is done in..... you guessed it..... helvetica, the creation of the staple in the word "STAPLES" generates interest and originality. Even though the L has been manipulated, the logo is still very legible through the white font on red background. The hierarchy is on the logo then the phrase "The Office Superstore" because of the logos size and all caps. This was done very well and rememberable. 

8 comments:

little cody. said...

honestly, the "l" works so well with the name that i havent really even noticed it much before. i just was like..yes. that is staples. maybe that is a good thing...maybe its a bad thing...maybe its just me..but i wonder if it would be as successful if they added a bit more contrast and more of an emphasis on the L.

Sarah Reed said...

For some reason, I never understood the meaning of the stylized "L". Is it really supposed to look like a staple? I personally don't see it. Perhaps the way the top part of the "L" is curved just throws me off. However, this is yet another good example of how Helvetica makes everything look clean and completely legible, despite the fact that I don't understand the intention of the "L"!

I'd Rather Be Baking said...

I had never really noticed the "l" being a staple before either. I agree that the logo definitely needs a bit more contrast. I did not really like the logo, but I guess that the 'l" being a staple makes it a little bit better. The only thing is that they should have pushed it further and made it more obvious.

Craig J. said...

I remember the first time a few years ago when I realized that the L was supposed to be a staple. It just hit me one day, and I felt so proud of myself. Once I realized what it was supposed to be, the logo all of a sudden worked. When I didnt really know what it was, I was just thinking that it looked kinda cool, I guess. But once I figured it out, I was like, "Oh, clever!" I feel like its a successful logo, but maybe put a slight variation, and a little more emphasis on the L, just to make it clearer to the viewers.

Bethany said...

I love the simple stuff like this. There's no need to go over the top all the time. I love it because it doesn't stand out. alot of times when the stuff stands out it becomes distracting and messes with hierarchy and readability. This does neither of that, but rather is a nice punch of personality for those who look a little closer.

Georgia said...

I also never knew that the "l" was supposed to be a staple. I could never figure it out so I just stopped paying attention to it. I think that it is ok that the logo is simple because of the type of store that it is for. Typically you go to an office supply store to get organized, so I think that in this case it works.

skidmark said...

before typeography, i always wondered what the little line on the L was, but i soon discovered that there was meaning; to make it a staple. i think because people have such a hard time coming up or seeing the meaning of it, it should be a bit more stylized; just to help clarify the purpose.

Ebee said...

i like this logo, i think it is simple and gets the point of office supplies across well. I appreciate the simplicity of it and how recognizable it is.