Visa is a US company that provides payment services. It appeared in 1958 when the financial conglomerate Bank of America began issuing BankAmericard cards and established BankAmericard Service Corporation. A little later, the name of the system was changed, choosing the universal name Visa.
Meaning and history
The brand’s visual identity has not changed much in the past 40 years. The logo with the inscription “Visa” first appeared in the mid-1970s. It underwent some minor redesigns. Before that, a similar brand was used, but with the phrase “BankAmericard.”
1958–1976
The first emblem looked like a rectangular plastic card with rounded corners. Its upper part was dark blue, the middle part was white and the lower part was orange. In the center was the inscription “BankAmericard,” in bold sans serif. All the letters are capital letters, but “B” and “A” are higher than the rest.
1976–1992
To make the brand multinational, the owners changed the name of the financial system. This is how Visa appeared, one of the most successful brands in the world. The name change increased the reach of the target audience, because the geographical connection with the United States disappeared. And it also became an occasion to update the logo.
The designers followed a familiar pattern: they simply replaced BankAmericard with Visa, preserving the old proportions and colors. The word is written in italics, with emphasis on the “V” slant. The letters have serifs.
1992–2000
In 1992, the palette lit up. The rounded corners of the outer frame were straightened and the outline became wide and blue. This version of the logo is still found in some commercials.
1999–2006
In the late 20th century, developers increased the spacing between letters and slightly reduced the “V” slope. Also, they changed from blue to cyan and from orange to yellow.
2005–2014
Despite global success, managers decided to revitalize the brand. It seemed illogical to them that the company provides a wealth of financial services, and only a credit card is displayed on its logo. In November 2003, specialists began developing a new trademark. It is almost no different from previous versions: in fact, this is the same “Visa” inscription, but without rectangular elements and an external frame.
The font continues in italics, although the slope has decreased. The protruding “V” corner is painted yellow to emphasize the clarity and conciseness of the image.
2014 – Present
In 2014, the company first abandoned its classic palette. He removed the gold color, which was identified with the California hills, and left only blue, a symbol of the blue sky. To diversify the logo, the designers used a gradient.
The brand is rumored to have ditched yellow to get closer to people. In fact, for many, this color is associated with gold, which means unattainable luxury and prestige. The visa system, in turn, tried to make the loans public.
Colors
The blue and gold in Visa’s logo were chosen to represent the blue sky and gold-colored hills of California, where the Bank of America was founded.