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Canadian Broadcasting Company

Burton Kramer (1972)

logo1

Logo History

The fourth logo of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), internally known as "The Gem," was designed by graphic artist Burton Kramer in December 1974. This design is one of the corporation’s most recognized symbols.

In its original television version:

  • The logo appeared as a kaleidoscopic animation that transformed into its final shape while radiating outward from the center of the screen against a blue background.

  • This animation, colloquially known as "The Exploding Pizza," marked the arrival of color television service across the CBC network.

The design holds deep symbolism:

  1. The large central figure represents the letter "C" for Canada.

  2. The radiating parts symbolize the broadcast of signals, reflecting the mission of transmitting across the nation.

  3. The surrounding blue circle alludes to the world, encapsulating the idea of "Canada broadcasting to the world."

logo1 logo2

logo3 logo4

Personal Interpretation

I have explored animated geometric variations that capture the dynamic spirit of the original design. Using JavaScript and the p5.js library, I created a representation that:

  • Allows manipulation of parameters such as the number of shapes and their proximity.

  • Simulates an expanding visual effect similar to the original version.

Technical Details

The program generates a series of geometric shapes that emulate the radiating sections of the CBC logo.

Key Features:

  • Distance Factor: Controls how closely the shapes align, creating a contraction or expansion effect.

  • Number of Elements: Adjusts the density and complexity of geometric variations.

Interactive controls (sliders) allow users to experiment with different settings to generate new visual interpretations.

See the logo study in P5

See the logo study in P5 in OpenProcessing

Code p5

Text Only
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//LOGO 1
//Genera variaciones de la idea para el logo de la Canadian Broadcasting Company
//Diseñado por Burton Kramer (1972)


function logo1(posx, posy){
    this.pos=createVector(posx, posy);
    this.side=100;
    //filas y columnas
    this.num=3;
    //factor que indica lo que se muestra de cada figura
    this.factor=1.5;

       this.update=function(){
     this.factor=slider1.value();
     this.num=slider2.value();
     this.pos.x=width/2;
     this.pos.y=height/2;
      }

this.display=function(){

for(var j=0; j<=this.num; j++){
  for(var i=(this.num-j); i<=this.num; i++){
      //sup derecha
      this.add_shape(this.pos.x+this.points(0, this.side/2,this.num-i+1), this.pos.y-this.points(0, this.side/2,this.num-j+1));
      //sup izquierda
      this.add_shape(this.pos.x-this.points(0, this.side/2,this.num-i+1), this.pos.y-this.points(0, this.side/2,this.num-j+1));
      //inf derecha
      this.add_shape(this.pos.x+this.points(0, this.side/2,this.num-i+1), this.pos.y+this.points(0, this.side/2,this.num-j+1));
      //inf izquierda
      this.add_shape(this.pos.x-this.points(0, this.side/2,this.num-i+1), this.pos.y+this.points(0, this.side/2,this.num-j+1));
    }
  }
}

this.add_shape=function(xpos, ypos){

rectMode(CENTER);
strokeWeight(0);
fill(255);
square(xpos, ypos, this.side);
fill(0);
circle(xpos, ypos, this.side-5);
fill(255);
circle(xpos, ypos, this.side/3);
strokeWeight(4);
stroke(255);
strokeCap(SQUARE);
line(xpos, ypos, xpos+this.side/2, ypos)


}

//POINTS
//Función recursiva que aplica un factor (this.factor) de distancia entre figuras
//Te da las posiciones de las figuras de forma que cada
//una se acerca proporcionalmente a las anteriores
this.points=function(a_1, a_2, n){
  n=n-1;
  if(n==0)
    return a_1;
  else
    return(a_1+this.points(a_2, a_2/this.factor, n));
  }

}


function windowResized() {
    resizeCanvas(windowWidth, windowHeight);
    canvas.position(0, 0);
  }