Some corporate logos have stood the test of time. Coca Cola’s iconic red script and General Electric’s GE-in-a-circle have been around since the late 1800s. But Betty Crocker sure doesn’t look like she used to back in 1927. And NBC’s logo has gone from xylophone to peacock to snake to giant N and back again since the 1950s. (Remember the snake?)
CBS, by contrast, has been a model of consistency. For 60 years, the network has been identified by the distinctive “eye” logo that first hit the air on October 20, 1951.
It’s been derided on occasion as big-brother-ish and even creepy. But it’s certainly familiar to generations of TV viewers, few of whom may have any idea of its history. Where did the “eye” come from anyway?
The back story, narrated by CBS’s Charles Osgood, is fascinating, or at least it was to me. Who knew the logo’s history had anything to do with a hex sign? Here’s looking at you, CBS.
