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The Suzuki logo history: A symbol of innovation and reliability
Whether you’re a member of the passionate motorcycle community, or a car enthusiast, you’re probably familiar with the Suzuki logo. Throughout Suzuki logo history, the company has carefully built and refined a visual identity, designed to appeal to a huge global audience.
Today, the Suzuki emblem, with its iconic “S” is one of the most recognizable symbols in the automotive world. It’s also one of the best-known logos in the Japanese market.
Though it may seem simplistic at a glance, the Suzuki logo is steeped in deeper meaning. It symbolizes the strength and creativity of the brand, as well as its commitment to speed and innovation. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the origins of this iconic logo.
Read on for a behind-the-scenes insight into the transformation of the Suzuki brand, and the evolution of its emblem throughout the years.
Suzuki: Brand overview
| Founded: | 1909 |
| Founder: | Michio Suzuki |
| Headquarters: | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan |
| Website: | globalsuzuki.com |
| Logo downloads: |
What does the brand name Suzuki mean?
Before we begin exploring Suzuki logo history, it’s worth learning a little more about the automotive company itself. Otherwise known as the “Suzuki Motor Corporation”, Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation, best-known for vehicle production.
Suzuki manufacturers motorcycles, automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, marine engines, and even wheelchairs. In 2016, it was the eleventh largest automaker worldwide. Today, it’s also one of the biggest automotive companies in Japan.
Suzuki was initially established by Michio Suzuki, who named his organization, the “Suzuki Loom Works” after himself. The company didn’t start life in the automotive space, but instead created weaving looms for Japan’s dynamic silk industry.
However, despite the success of his loom products, Suzuki believed his company would benefit from diversification, and began looking at other products. Based on changes in customer demand, he decided he would build a small car for the consumer market.
From day one, Suzuki’s vehicles were innovative, powered by liquid-cooled, four-cylinder, four-stroke engines. As the years passed, the company continued to invest in research and development, producing a wide range of new engines and motors for different types of vehicle.
Today, Suzuki is best-known for its incredible creations not just in the standard automobile world, but also in the motorcycle industry.
Suzuki logo history: What is the oldest Suzuki logo?
Despite a relatively long history, Suzuki has only made a handful of changes to its visual identity over the years. Perhaps the oldest Suzuki logo still recognized for the company today was created in 1909, when the organization was still focused on the Japanese loom industry.
Let’s take a closer look at Suzuki logo history.
1909
When Suzuki first launched in 1909, the company’s chosen logo was extremely modern. It was a combination mark, featuring a mirrored image of a bird (possibly an eagle), situated on the top and bottom of a bold, black wordmark.
The most interesting thing about the logo was the positioning of the two bird silhouettes. The mirror image of the bird shape created an “S” shape, to represent the name of the organization. This design choice helped to inspire many of the decisions made for Suzuki’s visual identity in the years to come.
The original Suzuki logo was powerful and evocative. It had an almost formidable appearance, even before the company joined the competitive automotive landscape. The sans-serif font, depicted in all uppercase letters, also added to the confidence and stability of the image.
1958
By 1958, the Suzuki company was fully invested in the automotive landscape, producing new cars and engines with innovative technology. The shift in the company’s focus prompted the desire for a new logo, based on the original design.
This iconic Suzuki emblem featured the name of the company in bold, sans-serif letters, similar in style to the original logo. The wordmark was made a lot larger however, and the letters were refined, making them look sleeker and more modern.
The image of the two birds was replaced with a simpler monogram “S”, created with a series of sleek geometric lines. This brand mark was much simpler than the previous design, but it still conveyed the core values of the Suzuki company: strength, speed, and creativity.
1990
In the 1990s, Suzuki made another change to its logo, this time opting for a subtler refinement. The “S” monogram was enlarged, although its lines and contours remained mostly the same. The wordmark, on the other hand, was made much smaller.
When introducing this new logo, Suzuki experimented with two different official color palettes. The first was a simple black and white design, sharing the same colors used in previous Suzuki logo designs. The second featured the Suzuki emblem in red, white, and blue.
The “Suzuki” name appeared in a soft shade of grey blue, conveying ideas of reliability, trust, and authenticity. The “S”, on the other hand, was inscribed in bright red, symbolizing passion, and vitality.
What does the Suzuki logo represent?
Though the Suzuki logo used today may seem a lot simpler than the original design created by the company, it still holds significant meaning. The “S” is symbolic of the name of the brand, but its unique lines and curved elements give it an exotic nature.
The character features sharp angles and sleek forms, resembling the characters used in Japanese text. It reminds customers of the company’s heritage, and samurai traditions. It also has a sleek, sophisticated appearance, which convey ideas of speed and power.
The bright red of the symbol also has a deeper meaning. Red is a powerful color in Japanese culture, and in color psychology, it’s often used convey energy and passion.
The blue coloring chosen for the wordmark underneath the “S” symbol, on the other hand, tells us that Suzuki is a reliable, trustworthy, and authentic brand.
The Suzuki logo: Fonts and colors
Although there have been numerous design changes to note throughout Suzuki logo history, the company has retained a lot of core elements in its visual identity. The “S” shape used in the monogram for the business today has been part of the organization’s image from day one.
Additionally, the company has always conveyed its name in bold block letters, designed to show its strength, power, and credibility in the automotive industry. If you want to take a closer look at the Suzuki logo, you can find some useful resources here:
What color is the Suzuki logo?
There are two versions of the Suzuki logo color palette worth mentioning today. Currently, the Suzuki logo can appear in black and white, or in a combination of red, white, and blue. Notably, on cars and motorcycles, the Suzuki logo colors are often replaced with a simple chrome design.
The two separate color palettes both have their own distinct meanings. Black and white is often associated with sophistication, professionalism, and strength. Red is connected with passion and life, while blue is associated with reliability and trust.
Maximum Red
Hex color: #E20A17
RGB: 226 10 23
CMYK: 0 96 90 11
Pantone: PMS Bright Red C
Dark Powder Blue
Hex color: #003399
RGB: 0 51 153
CMYK: 100 67 0 40
Pantone: PMS 286 C
What font does the Suzuki logo use?
The Suzuki logo font hasn’t changed much since the inception of the original company. From day one, the brand has stuck with a relatively bold, blocky typeface, with thick lines. This font choice helps to identify Suzuki as a powerful, confident brand.
The wordmark used by the company today features a typeface similar in style to Neue Helvetica Pro 93 Extended Black. It’s robust and well-balanced, adding to the credibility of the Suzuki brand.
The evolution of the Suzuki symbol
Suzuki has always used its logo as a testament to the strength of its brand, the power of its products, and its unique brand values.
Today, the iconic Suzuki emblem is a symbol of confidence, innovation, and heritage. It reminds us of the company’s roots, as well as conveying the personality that makes Suzuki so appealing to its customers and fans.
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Fabrik: A branding agency for our times.
As Fabrik’s creative director, Stephen oversees complex branding programmes. He advises our clients on their tone of voice, creates logos and visual identities and crafts names for companies, products and services. Writing for Brand Fabrik Stephen reflects his love for logo design and visual identity.
