Helvetica

The original Helvetica was designed in Switzerland in 1957 by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas type foundry (Haas’sche Schriftgiesserei). Haas was controlled by the type foundry Stempel, which was in turn controlled by Linotype.
Helvetica was originally called Die Neue Haas Grotesk, and was closely based on Schelter-Grotesk. It was created specifically to be neutral, to not give any impression or have any meaning in itself. This neutrality was paramount, and based on the idea that type itself should give no meaning.
The marketing director at Stempel decided to change the name to Helvetica in 1960 to make the font more marketable internationally. Originally it was proposed that the typeface be called Helvetia (Latin for Switzerland), but the designers didn’t want to name it after a country, and so it was called Helvetica instead (which is Latin for Swiss).

Helvetica was designed in post-war Europe, and many companies were looking for a change. It was the opposite of all the kitschy, fancy, decorative typography that covered corporate materials and advertisements.

Helvetica’s sleek lines and modern sensibilities were just what companies were looking for to remake their identities and set themselves apart from the past.

Corporations stick by Helvetica because of what they have invested in it. Because of this, it has become associated with corporate culture and business to some degree. This is one reason why American Apparel chose to use the font for their own brand identity to poke fun at corporate culture in America.

Helvetica was invented in 1957 by Eduard Hoffmann, director of Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland, with the help of Max Miedinger. The original typography was called Neue Haas Grotesk and it aimed to embody a no-frills style. Hoffmann wanted Neue Haas Grotesk to form a contemporary version of an older typeface known as Akzidenz Grotesk. This new design would allow the typeface to be featured in a variety of situations without ever seeming inappropriate. When Haas Type Foundry’s parent company, Mergenthaler Linotype, decided to market Neue Haas Grotesk in foreign markets, it changed the name to Helvetica in an effort to make it more appealing and easier to pronounce for international customers. Helvetica was received positively, and has grown into several common forms, such as Helvetica Light, Helvetica Bold, and Helvetica Black, that appear on billboards, postcards, business cards, magazine ads, and websites.

Common Uses of Helvetica
Different versions of Helvetica exist to cover a wide selection of languages, including Japanese, Korean, and Hebrew. Popular companies such as American Airlines and Toyota use Helvetica or draw inspiration from it as their font of choice. Apple uses Helvetica in its operating systems and a version appears on the iPhone 4. Other common uses include government organizations and the New York City Subway system, which currently uses Helvetica on its signage.
Why is Helvetica so well received? It comes down to its flexibility, its crisp appearance, and its humanized characteristics. The font appears closer to human writing and less like a computerized font, something a viewer will instantly relate to on a subconscious level. Its crisp appearance and flexibility make it a versatile font that can look either sophisticated or laid back depending on the context. All these factors add up to a well received and commonly used font.