The evolution of the CBC/Radio-Canada logo

CBC/Radio-Canada's logo has changed a lot from its original form, first unveiled in 1940. For many people, the mere sight of a CBC/Radio-Canada logo is enough to remind them of one of many milestones in the public broadcaster's history. Discover the various logos that helped shape the public broadcaster's highly distinctive brand image over the years.

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  In June 1940, artist Hortence Binette created the Corporation's primary identifier. The golden waves emanating from the map symbolized the fact that all regions of Canada were electrifyingly linked together with the establishment of the public broadcaster.

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  In 1958, the original logo was altered to meet television standards. Jean-Paul Boileau decided to maintain a simple representation of the geographical map.

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  In 1966, CBC/Radio-Canada introduced a new logo to coincide with the advent of colour TV.  The rainbow butterfly and accompanying tagline “A CBC Colour Presentation” would become ingrained in the minds of TV viewers witnessing this historic shift to colour. Hubert Tison's creation was meant to be temporary, but it actually remained in use for eight years, defining this new era in technology more than our corporate identity.

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  Burton Kramer's logo was developed in 1974, a year after Montreal's Maison de Radio-Canada officially opened its doors. The logo aptly captured the emerging symbiosis between TV and radio, which from then on would be broadcast from the same site. You can make out the letter C as it expands outwards from the centre, calling to mind broadcast signals. The orange colour brought the sheer dynamic power of the media to light.

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  In 1986, Hubert Tison and Robert Innes took up the challenge of designing a logo that would afford a higher degree of consistency for reproduction. The gem structure was simplified, the colour blue was chosen for its more corporate qualities, and graphic standards for CBC/Radio-Canada were also created. This update was key, because it made the public broadcaster even more recognizable to viewers.

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  Finally, in 1992 came the logo that would represent CBC/Radio-Canada's philosophy in a single brand signature. With international competition on the rise, CBC/Radio-Canada had to strive to stand out as the premier vehicle for the promotion of Canadian culture. The new, more minimal logo linking CBC and Radio-Canada also encapsulated TV, radio and Web operations, and was aligned with the Corporation's philosophy, which included awareness of the challenges that lay ahead.

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  This year, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrates its 75^th anniversary with a gem logo specially designed to commemorate this major milestone. Read the interview with designer Sylvain Cossette, and learn about the creative path that led to this new identifier.