UPL Limited, the Indian multinational agriculture solutions company formerly known as United Phosphorus Limited, introduced its current visual identity in June 2019. The rebrand was created by London-based creative agency venturethree and was designed to bring the company’s “OpenAg” purpose to life, activating its ambition to sustainably transform agriculture across the planet.[1]
Design and History
UPL unveiled its new brand expression on 5 June 2019, following the company’s acquisition of Arysta LifeScience in July 2018 and the launch of its OpenAg purpose in February 2019.[1] The new identity was inspired by UPL’s objective to have the world’s first open agriculture network.[1]
The company engaged venturethree to create and launch the new brand.[1] The resulting identity is described as a “living” brand, with UPL’s Chief Marketing Officer Rico Christensen explaining that “each version of the UPL symbol is born, lives and is finally replaced in a continuous cycle.”[1]
Prior to the 2019 rebrand, UPL had used a different logo. The company simplified its name from “United Phosphorus Limited” to “UPL” in 2013, and the new logo was first introduced to the Chinese market at an agrochemical trade show.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The new UPL symbol is a dynamic, flexible graphic featuring overlapping, partially shaded, irregular circular shapes in red, pink, orange, and yellow.[3] The design is intended to represent the moving nature of modern agriculture and the story of UPL’s evolving food network, with different elements coming together to form “one perfect yet changing moment in time.”[1]
UPL Global CEO Jai Shroff described the identity as a “living entity” that symbolizes the company’s commitment to creating open agriculture for connected, sustainable growth.[1] The dynamic shapes and colors change over time, reflecting the brand’s “no limits, no borders” philosophy associated with the OpenAg concept.[4]
Typography and Design
The UPL trademark registration describes the mark as a three-dimensional rendering of a collection of overlapping, partially shaded, irregular circular shapes in red (PMS: 179C), pink (PMS: 7424C), orange (PMS: 158C), and yellow (PMS: 124C).[3] The wordmark “UPL” appears alongside the graphic symbol.[5]
The identity is described as a dynamic graphic with soft colors that continuously emerge and change, reflecting the brand’s open agriculture concept.[4] The flexible nature of the logo allows it to appear in multiple variations rather than as a single static mark.[1]
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.
