Bosch lettering using brush font
As stated in “Bosch Zünder” in 1922, this "Bosch" lettering should "be the characteristic feature of any future Bosch advertising." (BZ 1922/6, p. 137)
In 1921, the Bosch lettering was first used as a brushstroke when the company introduced the new trademark "Anchor in a circle" and the new wordmark "ROBERT BOSCH" for the labeling of all of its products.
In "Bosch Zünder" this was justified as follows: "We felt compelled to move on to these new designations to assure our customers of the fact that they actually received our genuine Stuttgart Bosch products, in contrast to inferior imitations produced by foreign factories that during the war took the rights to use our old names." (BZ 1922/6, p. 136)
The advertising department was given the task of making the new picture and word mark known to the greatest possible extent. Therefore, it used various advertising media such as advertisements, posters, letter supplements and the like. Advertisements in newspapers were launched as of September 1921. The design of these ads was provided by the well-known poster artist Lucian Bernhard.
The advertisement shows "the word ‘Bosch’ in a peculiarly sublime writing on the frame, which forms the text and pictogram markings" (BZ 1922/6, p. 137) - the new brush font lettering was thus born. The the advertisement was placed millions of times in all major national and international specialist and daily newspapers and in thirteen languages. In this way, “the name Robert Bosch was brought back to mind everywhere". (BZ 1922/6, p. 137)
However, the actual birth of the Bosch brush lettering was a few years earlier. In 1913, the "Bosch light" (with alternator, battery, headlight and regulator) was launched onto the market. In the same year, Lucian Bernhard designed the corresponding advertising poster.
As stated in “Bosch Zünder” in 1922, this "Bosch" lettering should "be the characteristic feature of any future Bosch advertising." (BZ 1922/6, p. 137)
In this manner, the "Bosch" brushstroke was used intensively in many different ways throughout the following years - as a header on Bosch sale stores and other buildings, on banners, as part of the worldwide service mark and on marketing materials.
As of 1950, the block letter – which had always been used in parallel – gained priority and finally replaced the brushstroke lettering by the mid-1950s. (See standard N41 1950/1953, 1 042 010)