AKG Acoustics is an Austrian audio equipment manufacturer founded in Vienna in 1947 by Rudolf Görike and Ernst Pless. The company, originally named Akustische und Kino-Geräte Gesellschaft m.b.H., produces professional microphones, headphones and wireless systems, and operates as a brand within Harman International Industries.[1]
Design and History
The first AKG logo, featuring three overlapping rings, was designed by company founder Rudolf Görike, who was also a gifted drawer and painter. The rings symbolized the typical omnidirectional polar pattern of the time. In 1953, with the introduction of the AKG D 12, the first microphone with a cardioid polar pattern, the three rings were replaced with three cardioids. Apart from slight modifications, this logo has remained in use to this day.[2]
The tri-cardioid logo can be found on AKG products dating back to the 1940s.[3] The D 12 microphone also introduced the AKG logo of three overlapping cardioid patterns.[1]
In June 2010, Harman International Industries announced a refresh of its corporate logo and the brand logos of its subsidiary companies, including AKG. The change added the tagline “by HARMAN” below the existing AKG logo, intended to strengthen the group association and increase market recognition.[4][5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The three overlapping cardioid shapes in the AKG emblem are directly derived from microphone polar patterns, specifically the cardioid pickup pattern that AKG helped pioneer with the D 12 microphone in 1953. The emblem thus functions as a technical reference to the company’s core engineering expertise in microphone design.[2][1]
Typography and Design
The AKG wordmark is set in a bold, geometric sans-serif typeface. The letter “G” is shown with a slightly modernized contour, and the typeface is similar to Eurostile LT Pro Bold Extended.[6] The current logo iteration uses a monochrome black and white palette.[6]
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