markus weisbeck wrote:

Helvetica is one of the most popular typefaces of all time. It was
designed by Max Miedinger in 1957 for the Haas foundry of Switzerland
(the name is derived from Helvetia, the Swiss name for Switzerland). The
design is based on the grotesques of the late nineteenth century, but
new refinements put it in the sans serif sub-category of the neo-grotesque.
Shortly after its introduction, the Stempel foundry purchased the
original Helvetica typeface and developed a full series of weights. In
the 1960s Helvetica came to the United States, where alignment standards
differed; Mergenthaler Linotype copied the Stempel series and then added
several new versions of the design.

Helvetica is an all-purpose type
design that can deliver almost any message clearly and efficiently.
Condensed and compressed Helvetica designs are excellent for display
applications such as newspaper or newsletter headlines, billboards and
advertising.

Witold Riedel:

It is true that Helvetica is one of the most popular typefaces of
all time, but most of us know that the usage of Helvetica is widely
overhyped. There are other, far more popular sans serif typefaces, like
Futura. Not only is Futura older, but it also has a strong connection
to Frankfurt/Main and Offenbach (the so famous Offenbach). Home of
the HfG. (With Professor Friedl!)

Futura was designed by Paul Renner thirty(!), yes thirty, years before Helvetica. It uses
basic geometric proportions with no weight stresses, serifs, or frills, and
with long ascenders and descenders that give it more elegance than most
sans serif typefaces. The wide range of weights and the condensed faces
provide various ways to set short text blocks and display copy with
a strong, no-nonsense appearance. (see TRUST Corporate
Culture-Frankfurt, CI, France Joli, Breakaway, Single in Stores now.)

Or what about Franklin Gothic? This typeface is maybe the most popular
sans serif type face EVER produced. It is even almost sixty!!, yes sixty, years older
than Helvetica. It was designed by Morris Fuller Benton for American
Type Founders. (It is named for Benjamin Franklin). Based on sans serif
typfaces from the 19th century, it has been modernized several times. In
1979, (the license of ATF), Vic Caruso created more weights for ITC.

David Berlew completed the ITC Franklin Family by 1991 (the Year when
the http protocol was first introduced!) by creating the ITC Franklin
Compressed and ITC Franklin Condensed. This has practically formed a
category of it's own. It is the most used typeface on the American
Continent (or let's say, the world, since it is the ci-typeface used by
many companies, including Microsoft). It is highly
legible and noticable, and the standard choice for advertising and
newspapers. ("Most hated" typeface of Stefan Sagmeister (see his quote
in Graphis 303).)