All about Chermayeff & Geismar
Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar met as students at Yale in the mid 1950s. They were doing research for papers on typeface design. In the spring of 1957 they teamed up with Robert Brownjohn to form Brownjohn Chermayeff Geismar. Three years later, Brownjohn left the partnership.
Tom Geismar (left) and Ivan Chermayeff (right)
Hundreds of trademarks have been created by Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. Their logos and identity programs for high-profile corporations such as Mobil, Time Warner, Viacom, and Xerox (before their recent re-brand), and for institutions such as the New York Public Library, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Museum of Modern Art, are instantly recognisable hallmarks of design.
The following video features an animated showcase of some Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. logos.
If you can’t see the video above, click here to view a selection of Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. logos on YouTube.
Not a crescent swish or 3D relfection in sight. Excellent.
Celebrating 50 years of working with partner Tom Geismar, Ivan Chermayeff (at the recent Design Indaba conference) noted that in the early days, when people would ask him what he did at parties he used to tell them he was a commercial artist, “They didn’t know what that was but they left you alone, which was good.” Now he says he’s a graphic designer, “and they say ‘Oh, my niece is studying graphic design’. But they still don’t know what it means and they still leave you alone. Which is also good.”
Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. logos
NBC
Designed in 1986, the six-feathered peacock (representing NBC’s six divisions) has become one of the world’s best-known birds.
Barneys New York
Designed in 1981, the type manages to be both contemporary and classic, emphasizing the proud New York heritage by placing the ‘N’ and ‘Y’ in the centre.
Chase
Designed in 1961, when few American corporations were identified by abstract symbols, the Chase octagon has survived a series of mergers (quoted from Logo by Michael Evamy).
Mobil
Designed in 1964, the Mobil logotype has become instantly recognisable across the globe. With this design reliant on colour, the black only version makes use of two concentric circles (for the letter ‘o’) suggesting motion and mobility.
Bond Market Association
Designed in 1997, this trade association for brokers and dealers uses a logo that appeals to those with an eye for upwardly-moving charts.
Steff Geissbuhler
The Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. design firm can’t be featured without mentioning Swiss designer, Steff Geissbuhler. Steff was a key part of Chermayeff & Geismar’s success.
In 2005, Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. was dissolved following the departure of Geissbuhler and several senior colleagues, who established their own successful design firm, C&G Partners. Ivan and Tom continue to trade as Chermayeff & Geismar Studio.
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11 excellent comments, leave your thoughts or ping me!
Robert Augustin
Chermayeff and Geismar are icons. Great feature, thanks for the video!
Robert Augustin’s last blog post..The Magenta Lessons, Part 1: The Role of Design and Colors in Branding
Apr 21st, 2008
Erika
You know, I’m glad you listen that Mobil logo. I’ve never actually seen it out of color - and understandably so, considering how heavily it relies on that red - but I hate to hear that it has two different logos. Is that a common thing?
Apr 21st, 2008
David Airey
You’re very welcome. I enjoyed watching the video and thought a few of you would too.
Erika,
It’s certainly not common for a logo to have to different representations for colour and black and white, and I was surprised when I first learnt the Mobil design does. You’d be hard pressed to find a black-only version, because pretty much everything the company creates uses their corporate colours.
I did a quick search for you, and oddly, found a colour logo with the concentric circles. I don’t think it’s a proper version, but gives you an idea how the black-only design appears.
Apr 21st, 2008
Chaitanya VRK
Very Nice Article David.
Learned new things about logo design, I think we can break the rules to get new ideas like using different versions for complete black and a coloured one…!
Apr 21st, 2008
Valentino
Some superb modern logos, thanks for the knowledge. A couple of my favourites in there including NBC and National Geographic. Very iconic.
Apr 21st, 2008
Roberta Seldon
Great post, David. They really designed a lot of great logos.
Apr 22nd, 2008
Jay Francis Hunter
Wow. Very impressive.
Ugliest: Downtown Alliance….or, at least that’s the ugliest of the 20 minutes I watched. I don’t have time to watch the other 4 hours. ;)
Jay Francis Hunter’s last blog post..Manipulating Typography: Helvetica to Hellvetica
Apr 22nd, 2008
David Airey
Glad you liked the article, and learnt some new things. One downside of having two different logos is brand-recognition, although with the case of a logotype, as Mobil is, the black-only is a small departure from the colour version.
Valentino, Roberta,
It’s amazing how many iconic designs came from this organisation, and you’re very welcome for the feature.
Jay,
It is quite a long presentation, I agree. ;)
Apr 22nd, 2008
Kelly
David,
Wow! What I knew of them before just skimmed the surface. I only knew 25% of the logos in the video, and only associated half or fewer with Chermayeff & Geismar. The more I watched, the more their beautiful, deceptively simple way with type had me entranced. (That I already knew, but I didn’t know the trance could last that long!)
Great post and thanks very much for linking to the video.
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Naomi Dunford’s “I Never Called It a Meme,” Meme
Apr 23rd, 2008
Jermayn Parker
“Now he says he’s a graphic designer, “and they say ‘Oh, my niece is studying graphic design’. But they still don’t know what it means and they still leave you alone.
I will have to try this one…
Jermayn Parker’s last blog post..Six one percenters to improve in a game
Apr 23rd, 2008
David Airey
Great that you enjoyed the video, and you’re very welcome.
Jermayn,
I liked that quote too. ;)
Apr 24th, 2008
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