Monotype GmbH
Helvetica (1957), Max Miedinger & Eduard HoffmannDesigned in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger with help from Eduard Hoffmann, Helvetica is one of the most iconic typefaces of the 20th century. It is influenced by the famous typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk, which was developed by Berthold in 1896.
Originally, Helvetica was called Neue Haas Grotesk as Miedinger and Hoffmann worked at the Haas type foundry. It was licensed by Linotype and renamed Helvetica in 1960 to make the font more marketable internationally. Helvetica was designed in post-war Europe, when many companies were looking for a change. It was the opposite of all the kitschy, fancy, decorative typography that covered corporate materials and advertisements. It was created specifically to be neutral, to not give any impression or have any meaning in itself. This neutrality has been paramount in its success.
A selection of companies who use Helvetica in their logo’s:
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