IBC, short for Iwate Broadcasting Company (株式会社IBC岩手放送), is a television and radio broadcaster headquartered in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The company was established on December 7, 1953, launched its radio service on December 25, 1953, and began television broadcasting on September 1, 1959. It is affiliated with the Japan News Network (JNN) for television. [1] [2]
Design and History
IBC’s current logo was introduced in 1984, designed by renowned Japanese graphic designer Ikko Tanaka. [3] The redesign was prompted by a sense within the company that, after three decades of operation, the time had come to change its “body and mind” to keep the station moving forward and unite employees under a shared vision for the future. [4]
The previous logo had been designed by Yusaku Kamekura, another prominent Japanese designer. [5] The 1984 mark has remained in use since its introduction. [3]
Meaning and Symbolism
Tanaka based the logo on the initial “I” of Iwate. Above the letterform, an elliptical shape with an upward-sloping motion was intended to suggest a parabolic dish, reflecting an aspect of the new media age. On a larger scale, Tanaka noted that the slanted ellipse also evoked the solar system rotating in space. The upright rectangle forming the base of the “I” was designed to symbolize IBC’s stability as a company rooted in the earth of Iwate. The “B” and “C” letterforms followed the typographical logic of the previous logotype, maintaining continuity between the old and new identities. [3]
Typography and Design
To ensure consistent application of the new identity, Tanaka developed a graphic standards manual. This documented the logo across signage, business cards, vehicle livery, and stationery, and defined various lock-ups for divisions including TV, Radio, and Sport in both English and Japanese. Helvetica was adopted as the corporate typeface. [3]
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