Gerard Huerta and Logos that Last

Gerard Huerta is a master of letters.

You’ve probably never heard of him, but his custom lettering and illustrations are behind the logos of brands you interact with almost every day. From HBO to Time Magazine to Nabisco.

Huerta got his start in the music industry working at CBS Records in his early 20s after graduating from Art Center College of Design in Southern California. He worked on album artwork and lettering that fans of Boston (the band) and Blue Oyster Cult will recognize in a heartbeat.

A few years later, he struck gold when he was asked by Atlantic Records to help design lettering for AC/DC’s fourth studio album Let There Be Rock.

Huerta created what would become the band’s iconic logo featuring straight-edged letters and a lightning bolt striking between both parts of the name.  

Highway to Historic Branding

Huerta later moved on from music and took his lettering talents elsewhere. He created the mastheads for People Magazine and Time, designed watch dials for the Original Swiss Army Watch, and created Pepsi’s font and alphabet – to name a few of his greatest hits.

Huerta told the Connecticut Post in 2012 – “You are just always thinking in terms of letter forms and how they might interact with each other and work as a design, a brand, a logo.”

His work is a lesson in how to turn brands into household names through memorable logos and symbols. It underscores the power of smart design and unique lettering that tells a brand’s story in a single graphic without needing any other context.

In today’s oversaturated digital landscape, standing out is more important than ever. Huerta’s portfolio offers a great place to start for inspiration.