JBL is an American audio brand founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing, who built loudspeakers designed to carry sound farther, clearer and louder. The company name derives from the founder’s initials, and the brand operates today within Harman International, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. The JBL visual identity is built around a wordmark and a distinctive exclamation point symbol that has remained the cornerstone of the brand’s corporate identity for decades.
Design and History
Up to about 1955, James B. Lansing Sound sold loudspeakers with a signature logo emblazoned on the speaker structures. The brand name JBL was introduced to resolve ongoing disputes with Altec Lansing Corporation. The company name, “James B. Lansing Sound, Incorporated,” was retained, but the logo name was changed to JBL with its distinctive exclamation point. The JBL initials, along with the familiar exclamation point, soon became known worldwide, and the new logo was meant to represent the rapid ascent of the company’s fortunes and reputation during the late 1950s and the decade of the 1960s. [1]
The exclamation point symbol was created by designer Jerome Gould, originally in black and white. The logo was later redesigned keeping the exclamation point but changing the lettering. [2]
In 1968, industrial designer Arnold Wolf, who had worked with JBL since 1957 on products including the Paragon speaker, was commissioned to design a new company logo. The new design emphasized the JBL name, and it is this logo the company uses to the present. [3] Wolf’s red logo remains the cornerstone of JBL’s corporate identity. [4]
In June 2010, Harman International decided to renew its corporate logo and the brand logos of its group companies. For JBL and other group brands such as AKG, Mark Levinson and Revel Audio, the logos were changed by adding “by HARMAN” beneath the existing logo, strengthening the group relationship and aiming to increase recognition in the market. [5] [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The JBL logo consists of a wordmark and the exclamation point symbol. [2] The exclamation point is the defining visual element of the brand, and the JBL initials are integrated with it. The brand name itself derives from founder James Bullough Lansing’s initials, establishing a direct personal connection to the company’s audio engineering heritage. [7]
Arnold Wolf’s 1968 redesign integrated the basic iconic symbol with new lettering and placed them in a solid box. [8] The current logo presents in a solid red box. [2]
Typography and Design
Arnold Wolf’s 1968 redesign emphasized the JBL name with new lettering, keeping the exclamation point symbol and placing both in a solid box. [3] [8] The logo now presents in a solid red box. [2]
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