From the course: Helvetica

Linotype

From the course: Helvetica

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Linotype

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Now we go down to the cellar and see in our archives where we can find Helvetica. >> And here we have number 24. And there it is woo, the Helvetica drawings. >> The marketing director at Stempel had the idea to give it a better name because Neue Haas Grotesk, didn't sound very good for a the type face that was intended to be sold in the United States. >> Stempel suggested the name of Helvetia, this is very important. Helvetia is the latin name of Switzerland. And my father said that is impossible, you, you cannot, you cannot call a typeface after a name of a county. So, he said why don't we call it Helvetica. So, in other words, this would be the Swiss typeface. And they agreed. >> And I think it really was the perfect name at that time. And since we at that time, also was well known world-wide, so it was the best solution for Helvetica to get into the market. >> Once we'd introduced Helvetica, it really ran away. It was exactly what the designers were looking for. I mean I don't think there's been such a hot thing since as the figure ground relationship properly executed. And it was, oh, just a landslide waiting to go down the mountain. You know, and away it went.

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