It’s not shocking that New Jersey pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson announced it's updating the look of their logo. What’s shocking is they’ve been using the same logo with that red signature script since 1887.

I find that stunning. 136 years. One logo. What a run.

Johnson And Johnson Logo
A sign for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health is displayed in Flourtown, Pa., Friday, April 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
loading...

The original logo script was that of co-founder James Wood Johnson’s signature. It was one of the longest-used corporate logos in the world according to the company. Why the change?

Johnson & Johnson Reaches Settlement In 8.9 Billion Dollar Lawsuit Over Products Containing Talcum Powder
Getty Images
loading...

A big reason is kids aren’t being taught cursive in school nearly as much as before.

As a result, younger people may recognize the logo but they’re not actually reading it, not actually processing it.

The company says the new logo will be a different shade of red, easier to read and will draw you in more. Other than that it’s simply going to be the same names but in print instead of cursive. See the new logo below 👇

You know this is going to rekindle the debate about cursive being dropped in our public schools.

People will argue things like how important it is because you won’t be able to read our nation’s founding documents or sign your name.

Well, most versions of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution aren’t being read from the original parchment anyway and are most signatures even legible or are they a just a unique scribble?

alancrosthwaite
alancrosthwaite
loading...

This logo change at Johnson & Johnson is just one more in a long corporate history of updated logos.

Just for fun take a look at big companies' logos and what they used to look like compared to what they look like today. See how many you remember from way back when.

See what 50 company logos looked like then and now

New Johnson & Johnson logo

The new Johnson & Johnson logo. (Johnson & Johnson website/Canva illustration)
The new Johnson & Johnson logo. (Johnson & Johnson website/Canva illustration)
loading...

Most popular grocery stores in America

The most popular grocery stores in America, from corporate chains to family-owned enterprises. Stacker ranked them using consumer ratings sourced from YouGov polls.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

You can now listen to Deminski & Doyle — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite afternoon radio show any day of the week. Download the Deminski & Doyle show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM