Helvetica's creators, Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas typefoundry in Switzerland, originally named it "Neue Haas Grotesk." It got its new name, Helvetica, when a German company called Stempel released versions of the typeface in 1961.
The well-loved Swiss font has been adopted by many famous brands over the years, including Gap, Hoover, Lufthansa, Panasonic, and Royal Bank of Scotland.
New York's Museum of Modern Art once hosted a Helvetica exhibit, and a feature-length film about the popular font was released in 2007.
Neville Brody, a leading typographer, is among many who feel Helvetica is a boring choice. Says Brody, "When people choose Helvetica they want to fit in and look normal."
The name "Helvetica" comes from the Latin name for Switzerland.