The influential 4AD label was started in 1980 by music enthusiasts Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent with financial help from Beggars Banquet, whose record store chain the pair worked for.
Originally calling their label Axis, they released an initial series of four 7" singles before finding out that the name Axis was already being used by another label. Having to quickly come up with a new name, the partners noticed the following bit of typography that their graphic designer had put on a flyer announcing the Axis releases:
1980 FORWARD
1980 FWD
1984 AD
4AD
Kent left 4AD after a year and started another Beggars-affilated label, Situation Two.
Under Ivo Watts-Russell's guidance, drawing influence from other UK indie labels such as Beggars Banquet, Postcard Records and Factory, 4AD quickly established a unique indentity thanks to both the cover designs of Vaughan Oliver/v23 and the label's unique numbering system. (Discogs)
