Why did Target change its logo so often?

Target is a well-known brand in the United States, with over 1800 stores throughout the country. The Target trademark is certainly one of their most recognizable features. The logo is basically a bullseye with a red outer ring and a big red inner dot. That said, did you know that the company has changed its logo many times? In this article, we will find out why Target changed its logo through the years.

What was the first logo of Target?

The first logo of the Target company was, of course, influenced by the company’s name. In 1962, Dayton company (The parent company of Target) wanted to start a retail department. Then, they had the company’s public relations staff brainstorm names for a new retail shop, they got through over 200 company names before settling on “Target”.

The first Target store was built in Roseville, Minnesota, a suburb of Saint Paul, after the store’s name had been determined. Target’s first shop officially opened on May 1st, 1962. The original Target logo had 3 red rings which formed a bullseye, with the store’s name put in front of or beside the logo. Furthermore, the store name used a bold italic font to make the logo more outstanding. In the mid-60s, many brand logos were using italic text because it was popular.

What was the second logo of Target?

In 1968, the public relations team agreed to develop the logo since they wanted to make it more eye-catching and distinctive. The Target staff then went on to create the now-iconic logo, which consists of a bullseye with one red outer ring and a big red dot in the middle. Also, the store name had a little makeover as well since the italic style was no longer popular. The new logo was written in two distinctive styles: one with a white font and a black outline, and the other with just a black typeface color.

What was the third logo of Target?

Target’s third logo was designed in 1975, but it was just a subtle change in the font of the store name a little slide to the right of the original logo. Until today, there is no clear explanation about the cause of shifting the Target brand name to the right of the third logo. Anyhow, some people believe that the organization moved the name because it is easier to read and most people normally read anything from left to right instinctively.

The significant change of the fourth logo

The fourth logo was an interesting one, as it was called the “black sheep” of the Target logos. In 1989, the corporation chose to remove their classic bullseye logo and replace it with a script format that looked identical to the emblem of the Virgin Group, an English firm with several business projects in different sectors.

Since most people in the U.S. were familiar with the Target store’s classic bullseye logo, they didn’t like the new one. Therefore, the 4th logo only lasted a year due to its unpopularity. Afterward, they just decided to return to the previous version.

What’s the current Target logo?

Finally, the company decided to go back to what was not broken in the first place, the bullseye logo. However, there were a few changes with this one as well. The text color for their brand name was modified from black color to red. Moreover, the company also moved Target’s name back to the base of the icon, rather than to the right. From there on out, it seems that the company will keep using this version for as long as the company is still in business. It is indeed one of the most recognizable emblems in the business world.

Which of the Target logos was the most popular?

There was a consumer survey conducted on the streets of New York in 2014 by the company’s public relations team. The purpose of this research was to determine which of the logos people found most impressive.

Let’s take a look at this survey’s results:

  • 20% favored the 1962 logo, with its “retro” and “less corporate” appearance.
  • The 1975 edition was chosen by 5% of those polled.
  • The 1989 version received 2% of the votes.
  • The remainder either preferred the new symbol or refused to pick one in particular.

The logo’s color

The Target emblem has always used red and black as its primary colors, with white as the backdrop. The brand name’s black letters are easy to read, while the red target is a great eye-catcher. In fact, the first edition had a lighter color with orange and rosy undertones.

What’s the font of the Target logo?

And to conclude our guide, here’s a bit of information about what font does Target use for their logo. Old and new editions of the logo have always been using the Helvetica font. While the Target logo has indeed been revised many times over the years, the font has remained unchanged. Fun fact, deltafonts.com claims that Target’s font is a ‘‘grotesque sans serif font’’.

Carry F.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top