February 4, 2009


After watching the film Helvetica yesterday in class, I am amazed and relieved to discover that there are bigger typography nerds out there than me. (In high school no one wanted to do powerpoint presentations with me because I would take control of the entire project in order ensure there would be absolutely NO Comic Sans or Curlz MT.)

The film was not only entertaining but very informative, touching on the historical beginnings of the Helvetica font and even revealing its original name, Neue Haas Grotesk. It wasn't until the name was changed to Helvetica that the typeface's popularity soared in America. And thank goodness because I frankly wouldn't want to use any font that has a word resembling "grotesque" in the name.

It was refreshing to see the progression of something that began as a simple typeface and has been turned into a cultural icon. Like they mention in the movie, Helvetica is not a font for font's sake. It was not created to depict a certain emotion or theme, but rather to clarify the meaning of the content it carries. Imagine that, text that actually says what words mean! 

What I found most interesting, however, was just how many big corporations and companies use it for their logos. American Airlines has used Helvetica in their logo for more than 50 years now and, because of the typeface's versatility, still looks modern and relevant. American Apparel  (click for my favorite AA apparel) has done something entirely different, using the font to give a cheeky, almost generic feeling to their company. American Apparel's use of an unbiased and simple font reflects the company's numerous plain-colored unisex and one-size-fits-all products.

My favorite part of the movie was the montage of Lars Muller pointing at street signs that use the typeface. It was just a stoic Lars pointing at different signs over and over again, which I found hilarious for some reason.

^play this game! note: it's easier with a mouse.

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