AkzoNobel is a Dutch multinational paints and coatings company headquartered in Amsterdam, active in over 150 countries.[1] Its corporate identity centers on a stylized human figure known internally as “Bruce,” a symbol that has been part of the company’s visual identity since 1988.
Design and History
The original logo was designed by Wally Olins in 1988 through his firm Wolff Olins, featuring an outstretched man inspired by a Greek bas-relief sculpture at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The figure was chosen as both a scientific and artistic symbol, reflecting values of striving and achievement.[2]
In 2008, following the acquisition of British chemical company ICI, AkzoNobel launched a new brand strategy. The company subtly altered its name by removing the space between “Akzo” and “Nobel,” and updated its logo.[3] Management returned to Wally Olins, whose post-Wolff Olins firm Saffron designed the new logo in cooperation with Pentagram.[4]
The 2008 redesign was triggered by the ICI acquisition, but the larger goals were to communicate a new company to employees and customers, and to create a one-company feeling. The former Akzo Nobel had been run as a financial holding company with many operating subsidiaries; the new brand architecture reduced levels from four to two, and the corporate name was reduced to one word to end the old habit of thinking Akzo and Nobel were still separate cultures.[4]
According to then-CEO Hans Wijers, the logo “was already a very strong and distinctive asset, but it has been made more relevant for the 21st century and now has a greater sense of power and energy.”[4] The new Bruce was designed to be tougher and more assertive, and to more effectively express the company’s tagline, “Tomorrow’s Answers Today.”[4]
Amsterdam-based illustrator Martijn Rijven was responsible for drawing the new Bruce figure. Pentagram later refined the illustration, a process Rijven publicly criticized, describing the final version as having been cut off at the bottom.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The human figure in the AkzoNobel logo, known internally as Bruce, was inspired by an ancient Greek bas-relief and chosen as both a scientific and artistic symbol reflecting values of striving and achievement.[2] The 2008 version was designed to convey a greater sense of power and energy, embodying the company’s “Tomorrow’s Answers Today” positioning.[4]
Following the ICI acquisition, the new figure was rendered in the dark blue color associated with ICI, the only remaining element of that company’s identity in the new logo.[6]
Typography and Design
The 2008 identity included a new wordmark that accompanied the Bruce figure. The typography was described as enjoyable, avoiding the all-lowercase trend while remaining readable and friendly, and serving to differentiate the company.[7] The dominant blue color scheme was retained from the previous identity.[7]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
