According to some recent study it seems that 15 of the 20 most common cloth retailers use Helvetica in their marketing and brand material.
Boring? Perhaps. Does it get people to buy clothes? Who knows. But something is working.
Here’s a look at the typefaces used by the 20:
- Best Buy – Futura, Knockout, Apex Sans
- Costco – Avenir
- CVS – Helvetica
- Gap – Helvetica
- Home Depot – Stencil, Helvetica
- JC Penney – Helvetica
- Kohl’s – Helvetica, Bodoni
- Kroger – ITC Avant Garde Gothic, Helvetica
- Lowe’s – Helvetica, DIN
- Macy’s – ITC Avant Garde Gothic, Myriad
- Publix – Minion, Franklin Gothic
- Rite Aid – ITC Avant Garde Gothic, Romeo, Helvetica, Gotham
- Safeway – Metro, Frutiger, Helvetica
- Sears – Helvetica
- Staples – Stencil, Helvetica
- TJ Maxx – Helvetica
- Target – Helvetica
- Toys “R” Us – Comic Strip, Avenir
- Wal-Mart – Myriad, Helvetica
- Walgreens – VAG Rounded, Interstate, Helvetica
Helvetica, meh.
Brian Notess says
But Helvetica is so… well… easy?
Rich says
Not to mention that a large portion of this very site is… Helvetica
Jared Erickson says
although you have more choices now days for web-fonts. I don’t think there is any shame for using helvetica for body copy. this article points out the use for main branding, and “Headline” text for print… where there definitely is more choices for typefaces or the ability to do custom work.
John Saddington says
agreed.
Chris Ames says
Rich gets +1 points in my book.
😀
Ben Miller says
Boring, maybe, but it’s bold, clean, and easy to read.
Drew says
Boring? or is it “Invisible Design”? I mean… you’re telling me that if they used something less used in place of Helvetica, and used it the same way as Helvetica, then the design would somehow gain this excitement? It’s not like someone is going to use them more because they used a certain font… I think they wanted a simple, clean font to just represent the content without distracting from the message… yes, Helvetica is an easy choice.. but a good one none the less…
tpaulding says
I think it is an easy out/choice to use Helvetica because it is such a good font family. I’m sure it will grow old on us and will go out of style at some point but, right now, lazy or not, it is a good design choice much of the time. The fact that it makes it a no-brainer choice sometimes should be held against it, haha.
It’s like worship songs in the church. The one that we wanted to hear EVERY Sunday a few years ago is laughable/cheesy today because it is “soooo overplayed” now. Well, there is a reason it is overplayed/overused usually. And that reason is usually that it is, or at least was, a good song.
tpaulding says
that should have read “*shouldn’t be held against it.”