A Vision And An Idea – Kwanon

Precision Optical Instruments had a vision and a goal back in 1934, they wanted to produce the best cameras in the world. Through their research into quality cameras, the name Kwanon was adopted after the Buddhist Goddess of mercy.

The company had always wanted a global perspective to their brand and enlisted the help of a specialised advertising designer to simplify their logo featuring the Goddess with a scope to use a typeface never before seen in Europe or North America.

The intention was to enter the market with a seemingly exotic product, encouraging the consumer to buy into something new and exciting.

The emergence of Canon

The company trademarked the logo in 1935 accompanied by a slight name change to become Canon, the brand we recognise today.

Canon focused on the typeface, striving to make the logo as simplistic and memorable as possible, which is what led to the development of the recognisable bold lettering.

The only noticeable change would be the use of the red logo which perhaps represents the development of technology through colour processes and digital technology and a shoutout to the original processes of developing black-and-white photography in the red glow of a darkroom.

Market leaders in the modern-day camera market

Canon as a brand has held a clear and unchanged identity for over 50 years which has led to them becoming the most recognised brand in the camera industry.

The company’s brand communication has consistently focused on storytelling, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Canon’s advertising campaigns and marketing materials often feature stunning visuals that showcase the capabilities of their products. By associating its brand with exceptional photography and visual storytelling, Canon has successfully established itself as a trusted and innovative industry leader.

According to the latest research, they hold a 47.9% share of the market, which is greater than the combined shares of competitors Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm and Panasonic.

EDGE Creative – Specialists in brand identity

At EDGE we specialise in helping brands create a memorable and effective identity that helps them connect with their audience.

An important part of this involves following the trends and developments from within the world of branding, including how looking at how household brands such as Pepsi, Volkswagen and Nike have used logos, colours, typography and more to enhance their identity over the years.

Our graphic designers have shared their top considerations for when you are considering creating or redesigning a logo, which you can read in our recent blog.

For a limited time, your business can get a free brand audit (worth £750) from the experts at our design agency in Birmingham. Take advantage today and stand out from your competitors.