A LOOK AT NBC’S LOGO AND THE HISTORY BEHIND IT

For over fifty years, a vibrant multi-colored bird has been a prominent feature of NBC’s logo. Based on the changing styles and preferences of its audience along with different marketing strategies, the logo has gone through several transformations over the years.

The Evolution Of The NBC Logo

The design of the NBC logo has wonderfully transitioned from a conventional Laramie Peacock to a more conventional-styled peacock. The popular peacock emblem was, however, not always a part of the NBC logo. Here is how the NBC logo made its journey over the years:

The First NBC Logo

The network’s first logo consisted of a black microphone instead of the vibrant looking peacock emblem. It was launched in 1943 and lasted for more than 10 years.A look at NBC’s logo and the history behind it will tell you that NBC started off as a popular radio station and eventually transformed into a successful TV network.

So, the image of a microphone in the logo sent the message across that the channel embodied the spark and enthusiasm along with the expeditiousness conventionally associated with radio.

A New NBC Logo

In 1954, the network launched a new logo that featured an image of a xylophone and a mallet. The company prefered to use the abbreviation NBC instead of using its entire name.

The Birth Of The Peacock Logo

Shortly, with the revolution of colored TVs, the channel decided to incorporate this trend in their new logo.

The designer, John J Graham decided to design a peacock emblem. The original emblem had a total of six colors. The eleven feathers of the peacock’s tail were given tips like a drop to look like a graphical representation of real feathers. The peacock image was also given feet. Surprisingly, the peacock in the logo was never given a name.

Finally, in 1956, the Peacock emblem was launched. The logo would appear during the start and finish of color casts to make the audience get used to the new color technology. One year later, the logo was animated for the first time where the white feathers of the peacock would immediately turn into brightly colored ones.

A Different Version

The NBC logo was soon revamped which featured a conventional Laramie Peacock. In 1962, this peacock had colorful feathers as the tail opened out with the vivid colors of the background.

NBC Team Goes Minimalistic

Several years later in 1975, the makers decided to focus more on the text of the logo and removed the iconic Laramie Peacock emblem.

Soon in 1980, the peacock was again incorporated in the channel’s logo. The design was modified to get a more conventional styled logo. The colorful feathers in the logo remained the same;, however, the drop-shaped tips were removed to give it a minimalistic look.

The entire peacock’s body was also simplified and the feet of the peacock were removed. The new peacock emblem also went perfectly well with the channel’s new slogan, “Proud as a Peacock.”

A Drastic Uplift in 1986

The network gained immense popularity during the 80s, and the network decided to again modify the logo. In 1986, the peacock emblem was completely changed. The primary focus shifted from the font to the modernized peacock emblem. The peacock’s feathers were reduced to a total of six which represented the network’s six different branches.

Modernized Versions in the 90s

During the early nineties, the network decided to modify the logo with the help of different artists and designers. All the creators designed their own animated versions of the NBC peacock.

A look at NBC’s logo and the history behind it shows that the network’s logo displayed different colors and was also animated multiple times. Since the network had another company that used to build color TV sets, the new technology depicted the growing trend of color TVs. The colors also represented NBC as a powerful brand in media broadcasting.

NBC’s logo was often changed to depict its technological advances. Till date, the logo has gone through several transformations and the iconic peacock was changed numerous times as well.

Symbolism of the Latest Version 

In the network’s current logo, several aspects were strategically designed. For instance, the peacock is shown as looking to the right; depicting the futuristic stance of the channel. It reflects the philosophy of looking at what lies ahead instead of living in the past.

Also, as mentioned earlier, the peacock’s feathers symbolize NBC’s six different divisions; news, entertainment, network, sports, productions and stations. It is clear that NBC kept modifying its logo and each logo represented a unique achievement of the network.

Final Word

One major reason not a single NBC logo sustained for a long period of time is that the network wanted to depict its technological advancements through the logo. With constant technological changes and advancements, the network kept changing its logo accordingly. This also represented the network’s attitude for keeping up with changing trends in media technology.