What a great logo. “Shortly after it was created, the logo won numerous design awards, and media guru Marshall McLuhan termed it “an icon.” Fleming’s idea was to use a continuous flowing line to symbolize “the movement of people, materials and messages from one point to another.” In 2004 it was chosen as one of the Top 50 Logos of All Time; the only Canadian company to make the list and more importantly, 99 per cent of Canadians recognize the logo and associate it with CN.” -The Canora Chronicle _Source: Yasaburo Kuwayama, _Trade Marks & Symbols – Volume 1: Alphabetical Designs* (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1973)
Comments
jamesMay 2, 2006
This logo says Canada to me. I grew up in Toronto and was around while the CN tower was being erected. This simple yet powerful logo is still as fresh as it was so many years ago.
Jason PeltonSeptember 12, 2006
I’ve heard this logo called the lazy 3 because it looks like a number 3 on its side, I’ve also heard it being called the “wet noodle” .
Martha FlemingAugust 22, 2008
If anyone is interested, DA A Journal of the Printing Arts (Porcupine’s Quill Publishers) is publishing two issues of their journal about Allan Fleming which I as one of his three children have edited. The first one is out now and the second one is due in December 2008.
Michael ErdmannMarch 31, 2010
For anyone who’s interested in this piece, the CCCA archive has some fantastic process sketches of the logo in development – <http://rsrce.ca/n/3o>
It’s quite a rare treat to get this kind of insight into such an iconic design. One of the sketches even includes a hand-written note (presumably) from James Valkus to Allan Fleming – “Allan, Make thinner + we’ve got it. Jim”
Todd FalkowskyJune 23, 2011
GORGEOUS!