“Comic Sans and Papyrus have crossed over from typography-land into the mainstream of publicly recognised and ridiculed fonts.

Ewer explained that a font’s impact on consumer perception is always implicit, unless the font in question is remarkably bad. That being said, fonts are one small part of a brand’s visual language. It’s about using design to improve the bottom line of the business in the most direct way possible. In fact, the new font is similar to other san serif fonts, which is completely fine as it is clean, functional and reads well on digital screens of all sizes. Ewer added that despite the flutter in the press over the “cinemascopic curve” on the lower case “t”, Netflix Sans is not doing anything typographically disruptive or different. Netflix’s decision, as it had stated clearly, was also primarily a commercial move. “If changes in copyright law mean that brands will need to pay for font licenses on an impression basis (as the case in China), you’ll find a rush on typography studios as brands scramble to avoid licensing fees by creating their own typefaces,” Ewer explained.

When asked if more brands are likely to follow suit, Katie Ewer, strategy director of JKR Singapore, said the move is not a new trend, as many consumer brands have created their own unique typefaces for decades. Other brands that have also created their own font include Intel, Nokia and General Electric. According to the company’s VP of global design, James Sommerville the new font encapsulates elements from the company’s past and its American Modernist heritage. In January this year, The Coca-Cola Company launched its own font known as TCCC Unity. Netflix is not the first company to have created its own font. Nathan added that font licensing can be expensive and Netflix Sans has 'created an ownable and unique element for the brand's aesthetic', Adweek reported.

Netflix has unveiled its new font known as Netflix Sans, which according to its brand design lead Noah Nathan, is intended to serve 'both display and functional purposes'.Īccording to multiple media reports, the new font will enable Netflix to save 'millions of dollars a year' as it moves away from Gotham, the font it is currently licensed and one that is widely used in the entertainment industry.

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