How do you define a ‘great’ logo? Facebook's Ji Lee reckons Pirelli’s vital stats and staying-power make it a contender. One of the most memorable logos from my childhood is by Pirelli, the iconic Italian tire company. I grew up in Brazil, a country obsessed with Formula 1 mainly because of Ayrton Senna, one of the most celebrated F1 drivers in history, who tragically died in his prime. On the weekends, million of Brazilians were glued to their TVs to watch the races. Along the race tracks, on the cars, and on the drivers’ uniforms, there were many logos by the sponsoring brands, but it was Pirelli’s logo that had a lasting impression on me. And of course there were also those famous Pirelli calendars that caught my attention as a teen, hung on the walls of every mechanic’s garage.

I like Pirelli’s logo because there’s a child-like quality about it. The iconic extended “P” is something a teenager who’s doodling with letterforms would produce to fill the awkward space below the upper curve. But it works because it’s visually striking, balanced and extremely simple. Conceptually it also works because one can associate the extended P with the wheels’ streaks on the ground, speed, a racing track, elasticity of the tires, and the obvious phallic form that connects to men at the most basic level. As a lover of typography, I can also really appreciate the fact that they found a very memorable and ownable solution through a very simple typographic treatment. They will forever own the extended “P”, much in the same way that Marlboro owns the extended “lb”.

The Pirelli logo has a long history dating back to 1908. Since its beginning as a calligraphic wordmark, the logo went through numerous evolutions, until in 1945, it settled into the form closest to the current version. The 1945 logo still seems fresh, modern and timeless to me, as should any great logo that aims for longevity. Pirelli seems to agree, as this statement from their website about the logo’s history confirms: “Today any further innovations or changes to the logo seems impossible.” Now THAT is the best testament for a great logo to me.

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The Pirelli Calendar

The infamous Pirelli Calendar’s are handed out once a year to a restricted list  of the company’s favoured, composed mainly of key corporate clients and the usual celebrities. The tradition started in 1964 and, apart from a ten year break in 1974 when the oil shock inflicted a series of cost cutting measures, they have been published continuously since. They are  associated with a certain type of overt ‘glamour’ photography, often using famous actresses and models as the subjects.
Marlboro


Marlboro also have a long association with Formula 1, providing sponsorship for many teams, most famously McLaren. In fact Ayrton Senna drove for McLaren, the car sporting the iconic white and red livery of the brand, along with its recognisable word mark, when he won his three world championships. More recently the cigarette manufacture has been supporting the Ferrari race team. The pair caused controversy in 2010 when, due to a ban on tobacco advertising by the European Union, they adorned their car with an abstract barcode decal that was reminiscent of the Marlboro packet design when viewed at speed. They were later forced to remove this when the authorities deemed the design to be a form of subliminal messaging.










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