MCI Communications was a major American telecommunications company, founded in 1963 as Microwave Communications, Inc. in Joliet, Illinois, to offer long-distance telephone service between Chicago and St. Louis.[1] The company’s visual identity evolved through several distinct phases, with its most significant redesign arriving in 1996 as the firm repositioned itself ahead of telecommunications deregulation.
Design and History
MCI’s most notable logo was unveiled in March 1996, created by the branding consultancy Interbrand Schechter.[2] The new mark retained the MCI lettering and introduced a starburst device, with blue added to complement the existing orange of the previous identity.[2] The company said the logo symbolized its positioning for opportunities created by telecommunications reform.[3]
The 1996 redesign was MCI’s fourth logo in 26 years.[4] The previous logo had been introduced in 1982, following a federal ruling that opened the long-distance telephone business to competition.[3] Archival records at the Hagley Museum and Library document the 1982 transition, including a manager meeting reviewing the new logo in June of that year and a trademark file containing sketches of possible logo designs.[5][6]
The 1996 identity was accompanied by a comprehensive launch kit, including a letter from marketing communications to employees, a guide to logo conversion, and graphic standards materials.[7] A brochure kit announcing the new logo and strategic direction, branded “MCI For The New Century,” was distributed the same month.[8]
Meaning and Symbolism
According to Interbrand Schechter, the vivid blue in the 1996 logo reflected MCI’s worldwide reach, while the dynamic starburst expressed the company’s commitment to innovation.[2] The company positioned the new mark as a signal that it was “a new MCI,” prepared for the opportunities of telecommunications reform.[3] The starburst device was later adopted by WorldCom when it took the MCI name following its acquisition of the company.[2]
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