Arçelik is a Turkish home appliances manufacturer headquartered in Istanbul, founded in 1955. The company operates as part of the Koç Group and has long been considered the group’s flagship brand. Its corporate visual identity has undergone two significant transformations: a 1965 competition that produced a mark used for nearly four decades, and a 2002 redesign by the internationally renowned graphic designer Ivan Chermayeff.
Design and History
Arçelik’s first logo was selected through a public competition in 1965, in which 320 participants submitted 1,204 sketches. The winning design, by Ahmet Güleryüz, earned a prize of 5,000 Turkish lira. According to Arçelik General Manager Nedim Esgin, the small letter “a” in that logo depicted the form given to sheet metal at the time. The mark remained in continuous use for 37 years, a longevity Esgin attributed to its strength, noting that while logos typically need updating every decade, “Arçelik’s logo was so solid that it was not changed.” [1]
In December 2002, Arçelik replaced its long-standing logo with a new identity designed by Ivan Chermayeff of the New York firm Chermayeff & Geismar. The new mark was selected from four final alternatives after months of work. Chermayeff, who had previously designed logos for Mobil, Xerox, PanAm, NBC, and the Koç Group’s own logo in 1987, was described in contemporary coverage as a leading figure in graphic design who pioneered the concept of the trademark in the 1960s. [2] [3]
The redesign was driven by a strategic repositioning of the company. Arçelik’s old identity was characterized in press coverage as a “harsh, industrial, angular” mark that reflected a 1970s manufacturing company. The new logo was designed to present Arçelik as a customer-focused technology and service brand for the new millennium. Esgin explained that the company considered three options: leaving the logo untouched, modernizing it in stages, or creating an entirely new mark. They chose the third option, acknowledging that the old image was “more industry-heavy” while the company was “moving toward being a brand closer to the consumer.” [4] [1]
The 2002 logo change cost approximately 4 million dollars, with design fees accounting for 1.5 to 2 percent of that figure. The company had deliberately reduced advertising spending for a year prior to offset the cost of the transition. [1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2002 Arçelik logo is set in lowercase letters, italicized and leaning toward the future. The mark retains the company’s traditional red color, described in contemporary reporting as its “usual warm, sincere red.” [3] [5]
The symbol within the logo was described at launch as showing “the power to take shape according to customer expectations, flexibility, and determination,” and as “the symbol of transformation and a new page.” According to the company’s own explanation, the curve conceals both a smiling customer and steel taking shape, a reference to the “çelik” (steel) component of the Arçelik name. [4] [3]
The lowercase typography was itself a deliberate choice. Contemporary coverage noted that the old logo “spoke in capital letters, from above,” while the new one “speaks in lowercase, closer to the customer.” The new mark was described as “simple and energetic, technological but soft,” in contrast to the old logo’s “blocky, masculine” character. [3]
Typography and Design
The 2002 Arçelik logo uses a custom lowercase wordmark with a forward slant. The design incorporates the Turkish character “ç” (c-cedilla), maintaining the brand’s cultural identity within a globally oriented mark. Academic analysis of the redesign has noted that Arçelik evolved from a handwritten script emphasizing warmth and familiarity to a bold, italicized typeface symbolizing energy and innovation. [6]
In April 2024, Arçelik announced it would rename its global operations under the single corporate brand “Beko.” The newly designed Beko corporate logo uses a darker shade and a larger letter “B” than the consumer brand, emphasizing growth and inclusiveness. The corporate identity change did not apply to Arçelik Pazarlama A.Ş., Arçelik LG, IHP, or Arçelik Hitachi. [7] [8]
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