From my thesis research I am getting the impression that FFMeta represents the first time an organization commissioned a typeface intended to become its typographic identity on all printed output (at least in the context of organizational systems, obviously newspaper and magazines commissions predate it). Is this correct, or is the popularity of FFMeta overshadowing another important design?
Commissions are much earlier. Goudy did Pabst for Pabst. Californian for the University of California, etc. I wouldn’t be surprised if this goes back to the 19th century...
Even in the near past, Kurt Weidemann’s Corporate A,S and E predates Meta. I agree that there are probably lots of instances.
Goudy did Pabst for Pabst.
Pabst was used for advertising and doesn’t really fit into the context of a identity system; at least not in the context of corporate identity as established during the 1930s and what that has evolved to today.
Kurt Weidemann’s Corporate A,S and E predates Meta.
It predates Meta actually being turned into a usable font, but the commission—which is what I am interested in—for Meta came in 1981, and the Corporate A, S and E series were designed from 1985-1990, implying a 1984/1985 commission.
That wasn’t exactly a typeface, but nevertheless kind of a forerunner, no?
I think that there’s a pretty big gap there in terms of context.
Keep in mind that I am not asking about commissions for specific uses, I am looking at a commission of a typeface that was meant to be used for everything, not just running copy or advertising or a signage system. I am looking for the commission that said ”we want to stop printing everything from business cards to our truck lettering in Helvetica and print everything in our own typeface” and I think that the Meta commission might be that moment.
“the commission...for Meta came in 1981”
I didn’t know that!
Maybe the work of Peter Behrens for AEG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Behrens
In Italy, in the ’50s, Giulio Einaudi (one of the most important publisher, in Italy), commissioned a Garamond to Simoncini. Einaudi still uses Simoncini Garamond. It was discussed in a recent thread.
FF Meta was commissioned by Deutsche Bundespost in the 80s (what is your source for 1981?), but not accepted. The design was done in 1985. It later became the corporate identity typeface for MetaDesign. In addition to
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