When you turn on a movie, there’s a chance you may see a golden, ferocious lion with the name “Metro Goldwyn Mayer” above it.
This lion has become somewhat famous throughout the year. He has become synonymous with high-quality media, and viewers associate the MGM lion with famous movies and iconic characters.
The iconic lion has made MGM one of the most famous and iconic film studios of all time. It’s only natural that you may be interested in the history of the logo, specifically the history of the iconic roaring lion that appears at the start of every MGM film, and learn all the details about where it came from.
Although we know the roaring of the iconic lion and can hear it a mile away, the iconic MGM logo hasn’t always been the same one we see today.
This article will examine the history of the MGM logo and how the iconic lion was added. We’ll see how the gold color choice came around in the design and how the design has developed into the emblem symbolic of the film studio today.
After all, although we associate the roaring lion with MGM today, the brand has been through many changes, and the lion hasn’t always been a part of it. Let’s see how it’s changed throughout the years.
We’ll also look at the history of the film studio logo itself, and how it has managed to maintain its brand legacy throughout all the changes and developments it has gone through.
The MGM Logo Through The Years
1924––1964: The First Text Based Design
The very first MGM logo drastically differed from the one we see today. This design was created in the 1920s and was purely text-based, showcasing black text on a white background. However, it’s important to note that MGM was using two independent logo parts for their branding at this time. They used the logotype for official documentation. There was also a second emblem that featured a circle with a lion’s head inside of it. The company slogan framed the design and was decorated with smooth ribbons. Typically, the company used this part of the design on their marketing material such as products, posters, and anything else they might need an ornate design for.
This logotype featured two different fonts, the first in an Art-deco style serif font. This font was used for the first and last words in the film studio name, “Metro” and “Mayer.” The lines of the M were elongated for these words, with the lines coming down further than any other letter in the design. The word in the middle of the logotype, “Goldwyn,” was shown in an elegant cursive font. This had smooth shapes, curved tails, and an overall stylish appearance. This logotype was sleek and chic, using fonts in a way that helped the brand become cohesive and stand out. This design helped the brand get off to a good start and establish itself as a memorable brand to viewers.
1924––1984: The First Redesign
The first design lasted the film studio for decades before they decided it was time to redesign. This time, they combined both designs, having a logotype and emblem in their new logo. This time, the company name was featured inside a rectangle with a torch on either side, appearing like a long banner. The torches were lit, with a high flame coming out of either torch. Above the company name was a silhouette of a lion lying down. The logotype of the company name inside the banner was the same as in the previous design, showing the middle word in the elegant cursive font and the first and last words in the serif font. This entire design was sleek and almost romantic, excellently displaying the company while giving it an iconic emblem to be associated with.
1939: A One-off Emblem
Although not the film studio’s official design or logo, the 1939 one-off emblem is worth mentioning. During this time, the brand was experimenting with their design and playing around with how they could use the lion in their brand. This one-off emblem featured a ring that appeared to be made of ribbons. Two more ribbons came from each side and swirled around the bottom of the circle. The lion was in the center of the circle, with its majestic head at the heart of the design. Above its head, inside the ribbon, was the studio’s slogan, which was the Latin saying, “Arts for the sake of art.” At the bottom of the design, there were two laurel wreaths. Although not an official design for the brand, it’s been said that this design is part of what spurred the iconic logo used today.
1964––1966: A More Polished Version of the 1939 Emblem
In 1964, MGM released a design that was a more simplified and polished version of the 1939 logo. This design featured the lion’s head inside a circular black frame. Like the previous design, this one had two black ribbons on either side of the bottom of the circle. The lion was more detailed in this design, with its mouth wide open and eyes looking out to the distance. This design wasn’t overcomplicated, with no wordmark included, and it merely depended on the emblem to display the brand. The badge was balanced and overall, it was a simplistic yet creative look for the brand.
1966––1982: A New Look
The previous design lasted the brand two years, their shortest-lasting logo to date, before they decided it was time to change. This time they overhauled the previous design, going for a different and less detailed look than they had before. This was a more modern style badge featuring a lion in bold black that was shown on a circle but had no framing. The simple wordmark “MGM” was shown in big black letters below the circle. It was a medium-weight sans serif typeface that the brand opted to use for this design, and the black components were placed on a white background. The wordmark had traditional shapes and was sleek, with the design being cohesive and strict, standing out.
1982––1986: A More Detailed Design
The logo was redesigned in 1982 and used components of the previous designs to create a more detailed emblem for the brand. This time the brand returned to using the framing with ribbons back from the original design. This time, the lion’s head was redesigned to feature the lion’s mouth open and roaring. The slogan was still above the lion inside the ribbon. A wordmark was included this time, featuring “MGM/UA” in a large and strong font below the emblem. A long horizontal line was shown below that typeface and then “Entertainment Co” was shown below in smaller letters. Another long horizontal line was shown below that. All these elements were shown in white on a bold black background. The typeface was executed in a simple and modern sans serif font that stood out and displayed the brand in a positive light.
1984––1985: The Wordmark is Removed
1984 the logo was changed to be a bit cleaner, and the wordmark was removed. This version of the design showed the same emblem, this time removing the lettering from featuring it in large letters at the bottom of the design.
Instead, the lettering was now shown inside the circular ribbon that framed the lion’s head and “Entertainment Co” was shown at the bottom inside of more ribbon.
Besides this adjustment and adding more ribbons, the design, including the lion’s head, was the same. This time the brand opted to use black lining on a white background, helping the design to stand out.
1986––1987: Back to the 1982 Design
In 1986, the brand opted to use the emblem created in 1982 with only a minor change.
This time, they removed the “UA” lettering but kept all the other features of the design the same.
1986––1992: A Classier Version of the Design
In the same year the brand opted to start using the 1982 logo again, the brand introduced a more classy version. This was the same design with small changes that helped the logo become more modern and sleek. They used arched lettering above the lion inside the ribbons, and the letter “Trademark” was shown to the left and right of the emblem. These changes helped tweak the design to perfection, creating a more stylistic, sleek,, modern appearance.
1992––2021: More Changes
The brand decided the logo needed to be cleaned up in 1992. MGM opted to refine the logo, making the roaring lion’s image more distinct, ensuring it stood out and was the center of the design. The mask that had been added to the bottom of the lion was now a bit larger and more obvious. Small changes to the logo helped the contours to be refined and for it to stand out and be a high-quality representation of the brand.
2011––2021: MGM Added
There was a substantial change to the design that, although not certainly a redesign by any means, was a note-worthy edit to the design.
This year, they decided to add “MGM” in large black letters below the design. This wordmark stood out in a bold font and large letters, showing the studio behind the design well.
2021––Present: The Logo Today with Color
For the first time since its creation, the iconic MGM logo turned vivid with color in 2021. Until now, the design had merely been executed in black and white but now it was brought to life with gloss and a realistic image of the lion.
No longer was the lion merely a detailed drawing––it was a real-life, roaring and moving lion. This version of the logo didn’t include the “MGM” wordmark that had been added in 2011 and instead just used the company name above the emblem.
All the other elements of the previous design stayed the same, with only the addition of the shapes coming to life with three dimensions and metallic surfaces.
This logo is the one we see today, with a sleek and bright design that appears modern and stands out in the film industry.
The MGM Logo Font and Color
When thinking about the MGM logo, many people wonder what makes this iconic design work so well. This is mainly due to the color and font choice of the design.
MGM was meticulous when choosing these elements to their design to ensure that their brand was represented well and stood out amongst the competition. When it comes to the font used in the final design, it’s simple and not overly complicated.
This is smart on the designer’s part because it draws viewers’ attention and lets them look further into the design. It isn’t flashy but rather simple and easy. The font is also simple to ensure that the focus is on the design itself and ensuring people remember the brand more than focusing on the text.
The color in the design is the second component that makes the logo stand out and remain iconic. The color of the lion is realistic, adding to the realism of the design and ensuring that it’s accurate.
The ribbon and lettering are gold, keeping the natural color of the lion’s fur and creating a cohesive look. By not using multiple colors, the brand ensures the design isn’t overcomplicated and simple.
There’s a certain unity and style by only using gold that ensures the brand looks classy and sleek. The color choice is certainly intentional to keep the emblem modern and stylish.
In Conclusion
Overall, the MGM logo is iconic. This logo has become synonymous with the high-quality film studio that started with the merger of Samuel Goldwyn’s studio with Marcus Leow’s Metro Pictures and Louis B. Mayer’s company.
However, the modern and sleek realistic logo we see and associate with the American media corporation today hasn’t always been the same. The design has undergone many redesigns since it was first created in 1924 to get to the point we see today.
Above, we looked at all the changes the logo has been through and how it’s reached the creation we see today. We can learn a great deal from MGM and all these changes and their devotion to reaching the perfect design. MGM didn’t settle for anything less than perfect for their brand, even if that meant many years of focusing on the details of the design.
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