Nissan is a world-renowned brand of car from Japan. Established in 1933, this car manufacturer produces the largest number of electric cars in the world. The visual identity of the brand has undergone several transformations since the inception of the company. Each logo redesign is concise and reflects the evolution of the brand, its sphere of activity, and national identity. The logo delves into the various logo redesigns of Nissan’s visual identity over the years.
The Genesis of the Nissan Logo (1933–1940)
The Nissan logo was first designed in 1933, five years after the Nissan Motor Company was founded in Japan. The original emblem featured an iconic symbol in a red, white, and blue colour scheme. The red circle represented the rising sun, while the blue rectangle contained the white wordmark “Nissan,” written in bold uppercase letters with a solid font.
The logo conveyed the confidence and assurance of the Nissan brand. Initially, the logo referred to the word “Datsun,” which comprises “DAT” and “sun.” Here, DAT was the abbreviation for investors, namely, Den, Aoyama, and Takeuchi. However, later, the name was changed in favour of “Nissan,” which reflected the letters “ni” or “sun” and “ssan” or “birth.”
(1940–1950)
In the 1940s, Nissan played around with the shape of its logo and introduced an innovative geometric design (trapezoid) with six corners: two sharp corners at the top and four rounded corners below. The border of the trapezoid was executed in white and grey to create a shading effect.
The “Nissan” wordmark was rendered in a dynamic and friendly hand-drawn font with a little enlarged “A” and smooth lines. The outlines of the letters “S” were trimmed to create a vivid look. The red and white colour scheme remained, and a miniature form of the previous logo was added above the wordmark.
(1950–1959)
In the early 1950s, Nissan made its logo simpler by using a red rectangle containing the brand name in uppercase lettering. The red rectangle featured rounded corners and a white outline, which made the logo look stylish and soft.
(1959-1960)
In 1959, the previous design was updated with sharper corners and the removal of the outline to convey power and progress. Here, the letters of the wordmark became more angular and had straight and sharp lines to convey the power and progress of the brand.
(1960–1967)
In the early to late 1960s, Nissan experimented with a cursive wordmark rendered in red against a white background. This minimalistic yet sophisticated design made the logo stand out from others. When placed on cars, the wordmark appeared more stylish and luxurious.
(1967–1970)
In 1967, Nissan tried to strike a balance with a rounded italicised font in a brown colour scheme for three years. However, this experiment was short-lived and out of character for the brand.
(1970–1988)
In 1970, Nissan brought back the rectangle framing and used an uppercase serif font for the wordmark. The designers used black as the background and silver for the outline and the wordmark. The straight and thin lines of the letters made the logo appear neat, clean, and modern, which reflected a technologically-oriented approach.
(1978–1988)
The logo redesign of 1978 featured the brand name in classic black and a metallic grey colour scheme with a gradient as the background. The letters appeared more geometric, and the font was similar to Murano Sans Regular by FontSite Inc.
(1978–2001)
The logo design of 1978 brought back memories of the original Nissan logo of the 1930s. In this iteration, the circular emblem was given a dark red background, while the brand name in white had flat lettering executed in a sans-serif typeface.
(1983–2001)
This logo design celebrated Nissan’s heritage by featuring the iconic Nissan symbol. It comprised the rising sun emblem in red with white lettering set against a blue background to the left and a bigger wordmark depicting the brand name in white inside a blue rectangle to the right. The strong, confident wordmark used a custom font that made it recognisable and memorable, with a colour scheme matching the original logo version.
(1988–1989)
This particular logo redesign saw the return of the iconic Nissan logo style. It featured a dark grey horizontal-oriented rectangle with rounded corners placed on a solid circle. The colour scheme used was black and silver, and the circle had a matte silver background. The brand name on the rectangle was executed in a light grey colour with black shadows.
(1989–1990)
In this logo iteration, the design was executed in a minimalistic way. It featured plain black and bold letters placed on a white background. The logo, without any additional elements or shades, appeared masculine and evoked a sense of precision.
(1990–1992)
The iconic Nissan logo design made a comeback yet again, but with subtle changes. For instance, the horizontal-oriented rectangle or banner featured a matte silver background and the wordmark in black letters on it. The badge was supported by a matte silver ring with a black outline in the middle. The colour gradients on the badge gave the logo more volume.
(1992–1998)
The previous logo design was continued by removing the matte silver shades and by keeping the black-and-white colour scheme. The geometric shape of the design and the simple colour scheme made the logo appear professional.
(1998–2001)
The lines and contours of the previous logo design were refined and made more elegant. The colour palette mostly remained white, with a few black accents thrown around. The logo looked visually clean with the removal of shadows.
(2001–2012)
The 2001 logo featured a silver and grey colour scheme that made it look smoother, bolder, and more luxurious. The letters in black were spaced out to make the brand name more prominent.
(2012–2020)
In 2012, the logo received more grey tones, gradients, and white highlights. Here, the glossy surface of the logo became sleeker with a matte finish and new light shades. The overall badge appeared voluminous.
(2020–Present)
Introduced in 2020, the current Nissan logo continues to use many features from the original design, but with a few updates. Two arches with extended pointed ends were added on either side of the Nissan wordmark to create a new symbol. The sharpened ends of the arches made the two parts appear somewhat like horseshoes. This change aims to elevate the Nissan brand to a more luxurious level. The logo font is now a geometric sans-serif typography, with the “Nissan” name becoming key to the design.
The Elements of the Nissan Logo
Symbol
Nissan’s iconic logo has a rich history dating back to 1933. The symbol, inspired by its sister company, Datsun, features a stylized representation of the rising sun, which is an important Japanese heraldic emblem. The Nissan emblem consists of a rectangle containing the company’s name, superimposed on two arched shapes. This design has undergone several iterations throughout the brand’s lifetime. Interestingly, from the 1950s to the early 1980s, Nissan temporarily abandoned its symbol and opted for a simple “Nissan” wordmark.
Font
Throughout its evolution, the Nissan logo has consistently incorporated the brand name and experimented with various typefaces. These have included rounded fonts (1933–1950), angular styles (1959–1960), handwritten scripts (1960–1970), italics (1967–1970), and antiquity-inspired lettering (1970–1983). The present-day wordmark features a sans-serif grotesque font.
Colour
The colour scheme of the Nissan logo has also transformed over time. From 1933 to 2001, Nissan employed a multi-coloured palette, which predominantly featured shades of blue and red. The current design utilises a black-and-white colour palette only.
Finally
The Nissan logo has undergone numerous changes over the years. It has experimented with shapes, fonts, and colours while always maintaining the brand name as the central element. The current logo draws inspiration from breakthroughs in connectivity, science, and technology. It conveys the commitment of Nissan to innovation and its electric future.