With its very simple but attractive design, the Hertz logo makes it easy to recognize the well-known US car rental company.
The current Hertz logo uses the company’s signature yellow color, which stands for the 104 years of innovation and service that the company has been known for. But while the previous logo design used yellow text, it is now more prominent.
The current appearance of the Hertz logo shows the company’s effort to keep up with modern equipment and vehicle rental clients. Unlike before, when the font was made of square blocks, it is now more modern and has rounded edges.
Basically, the new Hertz logo tries to create a more modern corporate image that shows how well-known the Hertz brand is. This reflects the mindset of current and prospective customers who value superior service, value, and customizable options.
But how did the logo get to this point? Let’s find out as we go over the history of the Hertz logo and the brand itself.
Hertz Logo: Overview
Hertz is a large international car rental and leasing firm. It is owned by Hertz Global Holdings and is headquartered in the United States (Florida). The company’s operations are on a global scale. It has almost 25 thousand branches outside of America, allowing for significant profitability. Hertz also has a fleet of high-tech Tesla electric vehicles that complement the company’s environmentally friendly line of business.
The identity’s visual component is distinguished by the use of contrasting distinctive colors, a modern typeface, and a fashionable form. The focal point is clean lettering in the shape of the company name. It stands out against the background of a small rectangle of brilliant yellow with a tint. The presence of light highlights on the figure provides the illusion of volume, making the insignia appear to be a solid plate.
Hertz Logo: History and Meaning
What Exactly is Hertz?
Hertz is a well-known automobile rental corporation in the United States. Leasing and renting are among the services offered. They can be ordered not just by Americans, but also by people from other nations. There are more than 20 offices in various countries. Working on a global scale ensured the company’s success, as evidenced by its relatively large revenue (approximately $ 10 billion).
Hertz has had an exceptional career trajectory. It was frequently passed from one owner to another during its lifetime. And they are not small businesses, but the world’s largest corporations. In its long history, giants like United Airlines, RCA, and General Motors have been in charge of the company. They elevated Hertz to new heights and elevated it to the ranks of the world’s most popular corporations. However, in 2020, the company declared bankruptcy, which lasted until 2021.
It has recently resumed operations in a number of nations. The brand can be identified by its highly stylish and natural logo. It denotes vitality, energy, and perpetual movement, as well as the desire for growth. Characteristics are shown by a well-chosen color scheme of two colors and a stylized font that stands out. These elements are nicely blended, giving the feeling of harmony and completion.
1918 – 1978
In 1918, the contemporary Hertz was formed. Walter Jacobs established a tiny enterprise in the car rental market at this time. There were roughly ten Ford automobiles in the fleet. Only Chicago residents could hire one of the cars on display. The company was then given over to John Hertz, who immediately began working hard to develop the new acquisition.
During this time, Hertz had a unique corporate logo that drew attention. It was a brilliant plate that looked like a parallelogram. Its sides were angled to the right, giving the insignia a dynamic appearance. The figure was outlined in fine black lines and had a brilliant yellow background.
The main component of the logo was contained within the parallelogram – the company name, which was supplemented by an explanation of the field of activity. The first inscription was larger and bolder, while the second phrase (Rent a car) was smaller and had thin letters. The chosen design emphasized the young company’s ambition, as well as its dependability and high service quality.
1978 – 2009
Herts underwent another rebranding in 1978. The new logo had a unique concept. It represented the brand’s philosophy in a more concise and modern manner. By taking away the frame as a geometric shape, the designers used shadows to make the writing look more full. The lack of a frame showed that the brand was getting more opportunities and that there were no longer any limits on how it could be promoted.
As Herts expanded internationally, this feature became iconic. Another significant change was reflected in the font. Because of the shadows, it has grown bigger and fuller, showing stability, resilience, and a strong position in the market. With the addition of a white background, the color palette remained the same. The letters’ bases were painted in a rich yellow, with the outlines and shadows in black. This combination demonstrated vitality, strength, and perfection.
Hertz Logo from 2009 to today
Herts’ current brand badge was created in 2009. At the time, the people in charge decided to update the logo and make the message clear. The new version is a tidy rectangle with rounded corners and an iridescent background. Herts is traditionally written inside, but in a more stylish font. The font has gotten thinner and more unique.
It combines lines with smooth and sharp cuts, giving the chosen style a distinct look and making the concept more recognizable. Unlike the rest of the characters, the letter “r” stands out. The lack of other graphic elements in the logo, aside from a clear inscription, confirms the company’s focus on a specific range of services and its desire to improve them. The colors of the logo are yellow and black, with light highlights.
Hertz Logo Font and Colors
Hertz’s current design exudes confidence, style, and modernity. This is done by using bright, friendly colors, a stylized box-shaped border, and easy-to-read letters. The final element is in a roman sans-serif with a mix of flowing lines and straight cuts. This means that the company is willing to experiment while maintaining a consistent strategy.
The Hertz Symbol
The slight italic tilt of the letters makes the emblem look more lively. A beautiful two-tone palette is another element that reflects the essence of the company. It uses traditional black for the letters and a yellow tint for the background. Dark tones represent toughness, dependability, and professionalism, whereas bright yellow represents friendliness, energy, and convenience. These two colors represent Hertz’s main message: providing the most comfortable conditions for collaboration and high-quality service.
What font is the Hertz logo?
The Hertz logotype is rendered in a sans-serif font, which gives it an up-to-date and authoritative appearance. The letters that are italicized have clean, bold lines that are cut in distinct straight lines. In addition, the final letter, “Z,” has angular elements that lend an air of authority and expertise to the whole design.
Did Hertz change its name?
The company formerly known as Hertz Rental Car Holding Company Inc. has changed its name to Hertz Global Holdings Inc., and as of today, it will be trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “HTZ” in the “normal way.”
Hertz’s Evolution
The Hertz Corporation, formerly known as Rent-a-Car Inc, is a car rental company based in the United States that was founded in 1918 by Water L. Jacobs, a native of Chicago, IL. The company is now headquartered in Estero, Florida, and operates the Hertz brand, as well as Thrifty Car Rental, Firefly Car Rental, and Dollar Rent-A-Car.
With a market share of 36%, Hertz is one of three major rental car holding companies in America, trailing only Avis Budget Group and Enterprise Holdings. The company has operations in 160 countries around the world and has one of the largest fleets, locations, and sales of rental cars in the world.
In 1918, Water L. Jacobs, a 22-year-old car salesman from Chicago, used 12 Ford Model Ts to start a car rental service in his hometown. By 1923, Jacob’s fleet had grown to 600 vehicles, and his car rental company DriveUrSelf was earning nearly $1 million per year.
That same year, Jacobs sold his company to John Hertz, the owner of Yellow Truck and Yellow Cab. In 1925, Hertz sold Yellow Truck and his new company, Hertz DriveUrSelf, to General Motors.
General Motors renamed the company GM Hertz Drive-Ur-Self in 1932, and the first Hertz car rental location was opened at Chicago’s Midway Airport. GM Hertz Drive-Ur-Self expanded into Canada and Europe in 1938 and 1950, respectively.
The Growth of the Hertz Corporation
In 1953, John Hertz purchased GM Hertz Drive-Ur-Self through his truck and car rental company, Omnibus Corporation, and renamed it the Hertz Corporation. A year later, Hertz Corporation stock began trading on the NYSE, and the company purchased Metropolitan Distribution, a New York truck leasing service with 4,000 trucks in its fleet.
The Hertz Corporation now has a fleet of 12,900 passenger cars and 15,500 trucks as a result of this acquisition. While General Motors owned Hertz, a lot of its local franchises were sold to people who ran their own businesses.
With the help of investment bankers known as Lehman Brothers, Hertz began to buy back its US franchises and then expanded globally. By 1965, Hertz had become a household name in America, with a market capitalization of $100 million, up from $7 million just 12 years before.
The Hertz Corporation expanded into South America in 1961. Six years later, the Hertz Corporation was purchased by the Radio Corporation of America. Hertz Corporation was purchased for $587.5 million by UAL Corporation, later known as Allegis Corporation, in 1985. With this purchase, Hertz can now lease and rent out nearly 400,000 trucks and cars in 120 countries around the world.
In the summer of 1987, Allegis Corporation said that it would sell Hertz because of changes inside the company. In October of that year, Ford Motor Company’s subsidiary Park Ridge Corporation paid $1.3 billion for Hertz. Hertz relocated to Park Ridge, NJ the following year.
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In 2002, Hertz made its debut in China. The company began working with China Auto Rental, China’s largest car rental company in 2013. In 2016, the company sold some of its shares but said it would keep doing business with the other company until 2023.
By the second quarter of 2005, Hertz had contributed roughly 10% of Ford Motor Company’s pre-tax profit. Ford announced the sale of the Hertz brand after owning it for 18 years in order to focus more on producing Ford trucks and cars. In 2005, private equity firms Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity, Clayton, The Carlyle Group, and Dubilier & Rice paid approximately $15 billion for all common stock shares in Hertz, including debt.
The Dubilier & Rice, Clayton consortium returned Hertz to the NYSE in November 2006, and the company began to expand throughout Europe.
Hertz launched the “Simply Wheelz” sub-brand in September 2007 for leisure and budget-conscious customers. By the following year, the sub-brand had expanded to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport as well as airports in Florida and California. Simply Wheelz was renamed Advantage Rent-a-Car in the fall of 2009.
Hertz announced the purchase of British Car Auctions (BCA), a used car dealer, from Montagu Private Equity, a London-based private equity firm, near the end of 2009.
Strategy
Hertz makes 67% of its money from renting cars, which can be done in a number of ways. Customers can rent cars on a daily, weekly, monthly, or weekend basis, with various mileage rates (limited or unlimited) or on a mileage charge plus time rate.
The costs and competitive factors associated with different markets influence car rental rates. The customer almost always purchases the gasoline used during the rental period.
Hertz’s plan for success is based on the fact that it owns most of its branches around the world. This gives it a lot of control over service quality, fleet use and maintenance, pricing, strict cost control, and the ability to offer one-way rentals.
By the end of 2001, the company owned 95% of Hertz’s fleet. Hertz occasionally signs franchise agreements to provide rental services. But these kinds of deals usually only happen when Hertz works with local rental services in other countries.
Hertz added SiriusXM Satellite Radio to its fleet of rental cars in North America in the year 2000.
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In 2007, the company began testing hourly vehicle rentals in three New York locations. It launched Connect by Hertz, a global carsharing service, in December 2008. Customers paid an hourly rental fee to use the service in New York, Park Ridge, Orlando, Paris, London, and Sydney. The service, which was later rebranded as Hertz 24/7 and Hertz on Demand, was discontinued in the United States in September 2015.
In 2009, Hertz began testing a photo technique to document damage to its rental car fleet.
The company launched ExpressRent Kiosks at multiple rental locations in November 2011. This was the first time in America that large-scale car rental kiosks used video chat with a live agent.
In 2022, Hertz plans to add Polestar and Tesla electric vehicles to its rental fleet.
Modern Corporate Transformations
Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, announced in 2013 that Hertz would relocate its global headquarters to Estero, Southwest Florida. The move was necessary to consolidate company offices, which were influenced by the state’s thriving tourism and travel industry, and to make Hertz Global brands more efficient. The move was completed in 2015.
Mark P. Frissora, CEO and Chairman of Hertz Global Holdings, left in November 2014 and was replaced in both capacities by John P. Tague. John Tague retired in late 2016 and was succeeded by Kathryn V. Marinello, the former CEO of Stream Global Services.
Bankruptcy
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hertz said on April 30, 2020, that it would ask its lenders for money to keep it from going bankrupt. On May 18, 2020, Marinello stepped down as CEO and President, and Paul Stone took his place. Hertz’s former chief retail operations officer and vice president for North America was Stone.
Hertz filed for bankruptcy on May 22, 2020, because it couldn’t come to a deal with its major lenders. When Hertz declared bankruptcy, activist investor Carl Icahn owned 39% of the company. He also had three board seats under his control. Icahn invested $2.3 billion in the company between 2014 and 2020.
Hertz financed itself primarily through loans secured by its vehicles. If the value of the vehicles fell, Hertz’s lenders had the right to demand an upfront payment. This reduced the loan amount, but lenders were still well covered by the cars’ now-lowered value. As a result of the bankruptcy crisis, most customers chose to rent cars from other companies, so Hertz’s sales fell and so did the value of its used cars.
Even though Hertz filed for bankruptcy on June 11, 2020, they have plans to get up to $1 billion in new investments. Hertz raised $29 million before the Securities and Exchange Commission halted further sales. Hertz’s stock was delisted from the NYSE in October 2020.
On July 1, 2021, Hertz came out of bankruptcy. Its HTZGQ ticker symbol was changed to HTZZ. Mark Fields was named interim CEO of Hertz, primarily in charge of strategic investments. That same month, Fields announced Hertz’s intention to purchase 100,000 Tesla vehicles, with the goal of having the company own an entire fleet of electric vehicles.
Hertz went public again in November 2021, trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol HTZ.
In Conclusion,
Hertz Corporation, or simply Hertz, is the world’s largest vehicle rental and leasing company. It is headquartered in Estero, Florida, and is owned by Hertz Global Holdings. The company has approximately 12,000 franchisees and corporate operations in 160 countries worldwide.
Throughout its more than 100-year history, the Hertz Corporation has changed hands several times. Throughout the company’s long history, it has been owned by many different companies, such as General Motors, RCA, and United Airlines.
Hertz rents out cars from Mercedes, BYD, Cadillac, Infiniti, BMW, Land Rover, Porsche, Mazda, Jaguar, Toyota, Volvo, Lincoln, and Jeep, among others.
Hertz went bankrupt in 2020 because the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused sales to drop by a lot. It did not emerge from bankruptcy until July 2021.
Hertz was ranked 326th on the 2020 Fortune 500 list.
Hertz had assets worth $16.9 billion, revenues of $5.26 billion, and 24,000 employees worldwide as of December 31, 2020.
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