Target's Logo Wasn't Always Its Iconic Bullseye

What was originally a burned-down church site has become a household name in retail known as Target. Real estate developer George Draper Dayton first purchased the grounds in 1902 to form Dayton Dry Goods Company, which was later turned into the Target franchise through a succession of sons after Dayton's death in 1938. Target was officially established in the early '60s in Minneapolis, MN, and over 50 years later, its logo continues to be one of the most well-recognized in North America. According to Target's corporate site, over 96 percent of American shoppers associate the iconic bullseye with the brand.

In 1962, the company brainstormed more than 200 possibilities for the store's name and logo. "On a red-and-white whim, they came up with 'Target' and immediately envisioned a classic Bullseye logo with three rings,'" the website says. The original design featured a three-white-ring and three-red-ring target symbol with the store's name displayed across it.

Seven years later, one of the ads from the store's "Shop at Target" grand-opening campaign included a photo of a woman wearing a large dangling earring that looked like the Target logo today. The "Flair for Fashion" ad was apparently the earliest use of the logo in an "unexpected way."

In 1975, the "Target" logo was written in black caps to the right of the red bullseye, and it was changed to a text-only design in 1989. The red-script version was completely different from any of its previous designs — and it was not popular. The company abandoned the logo within a year.

Finally, by 2006, the iconic bullseye we know today was able to stand on its own, and Target removed the name from its ads and fliers.

Check out Target's corporate page to see the evolution of its logo design!