chose the name Nine Inch Nails

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Reznor chose the name “Nine Inch Nails” because it “abbreviated easily” rather than for “any literal meaning”. Other rumored explanations have circulated, alleging that Reznor chose to refer to Jesus’s crucifixion with nine-inch spikes , or Freddy Krueger ‘s nine-inch fingernails. The Nine Inch Nails logo first appeared on the music video for their debut single, ” Down in It “. Reznor and Gary Talpas designed the logo, inspired by Tibor Kalman ‘s typography on the Talking Heads album Remain in Light . The logo features the band’s initials, with the second N mirrored . Talpas, a native of Cleveland, continued to design Nine Inch Nails packaging until 1997.