Doing some research on the history of photography lead me to “The Branding of Polaroid,” a remarkably detailed look at the development of the Polaroid brand, by a principal instigator. It’s rich with stories, images, and perspective — there’s enough content for a small book! It’s a bit tricky to navigate — use the “chapters” listed under “Archives” to go from beginning to end.
Update: I just remembered this page on the evolution of Kodak’s brand logo. It’s fascinating to see it improve until 1971, at which point it seems to backslide, with the numbingly bland mark they have now:
Personally, I like the original 1907 logo. It maybe looks a little geeky to contemporary eyes (brains), but I have a hunch it had impact on our 1907 ancestors.
But more important than the graphic logo to the success of Kodak, is the name itself. Nothing in the realm of American photography has enjoyed the cachet of approval comparable to the sight or sound of the word: Kodak. This word itself has proven more effective than any graphic design that bears it.
And it is interesting to note that George Eastman carefully made up the word. He was looking for something in sound to represent his totally graphic product and eventually created the sound and word “Kodak”.
It is probable that since 1971, subsequent teams of researchers and designers have been employed to update the logo changes you cite. And I would bet that several new brand names have also been suggested. A new name for the new millenium. How about Kopix or Digidak?
Next I’ll update Coke and Haagen-Daz.