NEC

Background

NEC Corporation (日本電気株式会社, Nippon Denki Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Their products range from information technology and network solutions products, to various consumer electronics such as personal computers, televisions, mobile phones, office facilities and video game consoles (PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 and PC-FX). Originally branded as Nippon Electric Company, Limited, they changed to the NEC name in 1983. The company has been the biggest PC vendor in Japan since the 1980s after the launch of the PC-8000 series in 1979 - later followed up by the PC-8800 series in 1981 and the PC-9800 next year, with the PC-9800 series being supported until 2003. Once Japan's major electronics company, NEC has largely withdrawn from manufacturing since the beginning of the 21st century.

Contents

1st Logo (1986-1992)	2nd Logo (1992-1996)	3rd Logo (1996-1998)	4th Logo (1999-2002)


5th Logo (2000-2017)	6th Logo (2011-2017)	7th Logo (2017-2020)	8th Logo (2020-)

1st Logo (1986-1992)

Visuals: Multiple blue rays move out into the center over a dark blue background. These form the "NEC" logo of the time, before a flash occurs at the center and changes the background to a brighter blue, with the NEC logo in white.

Variant: A few commercials from 1991-1992 had the logo fading in from black.

Technique: Cel animation.

Audio: A group of female singers singing "NEC!", followed by a synth bell. In later years, the bell note was altered.

Audio Variant: The ending music and the announcer saying the name for the variant.

Availability: Seen on Japanese NEC commercials from the time frame.

2nd Logo (1992-1996)

Visuals: Over a white background, the new, blue NEC logo warps in from the center of the screen.

Technique: Computer animation, designed by Landor Associates.

Audio: An ethereal synth note with a group of people saying "NEC".

Availability: Seen on Japanese NEC commercials from the time frame.

3rd Logo (1996-1998)

Visuals: Over a white background, the gray text マルチメディアのNEC, with a wavy line shape below at the left, rises up from the center of the screen.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: Same as before.

Availability: Seen on Japanese NEC commercials from the time frame.

4th Logo (1999-2002)

Visuals: Over a white background, blue Japanese text zooms out near the top, with below it the black text "Invitation to the Internet" and the blue NEC logo fading in.

Variant: There is a version without the English text.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: A modulated synth note playing along with a guitar, and a male voice saying "NEC".

Availability: Seen on Japanese NEC commercials from the time frame.

5th Logo (2000-2017)

Visuals: Over a white background, the NEC logo is shown with the text "Empowered by Innovation" in black above. A light passes through the text.

Variants:

There is a version with a black background and the logo and text in white.
A similar variant uses the black background and white slogan with the logo in its blue color.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: The male voice saying "NEC".

Availability: Seen on Japanese NEC commercials from the time frame.

6th Logo (2011-2017)

Visuals: Over a white background, the NEC logo is shown with the text "Empowered by Innovation" above, and bold Japanese text in black below. The top of an Earth globe is shown below, with a robot and a girl looking at each other, later facing the screen. A light streak, leaving a trail of dots then passes in front of the Japanese text.

Variant: There is a version where the robot and the girl are mirrored.

Technique: Computer animation and live-action.

Audio: A rising synth note, and a female voice saying "NEC".

Availability: Used in tandem with the previous logo on some 2010s commercials.

7th Logo (2017-2020)

Visuals: Over a black background, the NEC logo appears in white.

Variant: The colors might be inverted.

Technique: A still, digital graphic.

Audio: The voice saying "NEC".

Availability: Seen on Japanese NEC commercials from the time frame.

8th Logo (2020-)

Visuals: Over a white spotlight background, the NEC logo is shown with the text "\Orchestrating a brighter world" above. Multiple yellow streaks appear moving around and move back, before fading out.

Variants:

There is a version where the streaks are blue/green.
In Japanese TV commercials, the logo is still and without the slogan.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: A rising synth bell, and a male voice saying "NEC".

Availability: Seen on new NEC commercials.