A NUMBERS GAME
From the cost of the Coca-Cola logo to the price of Louis Vuitton's Urban satchel
The fundamentals
0
The price of the Coca-Cola logo — it was drawn by Frank Mason Robinson, the company’s bookkeeper. The logo is an example of Spencerian script, the American de facto writing style for business correspondence before the adoption of the typewriter.
1962
The year that designers Ray and Charles Eames came up with a utilitarian seating system for Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The Eames Tandem Sling Seating range has now become ubiquitous in offices and terminals across the world.
58
The number of people depicted on the album cover of The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967).
70
The number of different pieces of wood required to make a violin. One of the world’s most expensive violins, the Vieuxtemps Guarneri, sold for $16 million at auction.
4 600 000
The amount in pounds spent on the design of BP’s sunflower logo. Another £132 million was spent on rebranding vans, manufacturing plants, and 28 000 petrol stations.
90
The percentage of Italian families who own a Bialetti moka pot. The aluminium coffee staple was designed in 1933 and an estimated 330 million units have since been made.
30 000 000
The amount in dollars earned by New York state each year from graphic designer Milton Glaser’s logo, which has become a pop culture icon since its design in 1977.
151 000
The price in Swedish krona fetched by the Bengt Ruda-designed Cavelli armchair in a 2021 auction. This is the highest amount yet spent on an Ikea product.
150 000
The price in dollars of the Louis Vuitton Urban satchel, which is made of Italian leather and recycled items such as water bottles, cigarette packs, and chewing-gum wrappers.