SK hynix is a South Korea-based semiconductor company that adopted its current name and corporate identity in March 2012, when it became a member of the SK Group. The visual identity combines the SK Group’s “Wings of Happiness” symbol with the company’s former name “hynix,” which had been well recognized worldwide as a semiconductor brand.[1]
Design and History
The current SK hynix logo was introduced on March 26, 2012, at the company’s inauguration ceremony. The new corporate identity was described as a combination of the SK Group’s “Wings of Happiness” and the existing corporate name “hynix.”[1] The mark features the SK Group symbol at the front with the red “SK” logo, followed by the orange “hynix” wordmark that had been the company’s distinctive color.[2]
Before this rebrand, the company had operated under the name hynix Semiconductor Inc. since 2001, when it changed its name from Hyundai Electronics and introduced a new corporate identity. That 2001 CI used curved lines to imply a friendly image based on humanism combined with technology expertise, and employed a vibrant orange color intended to convey a warm, young and fresh orientation toward customer relationships.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
According to SK hynix’s official CI guidelines, the “Wings of Happiness” symbol mark represents SK taking flight by pursuing both social and economic values, which are described as the two pillars of SK’s Double Bottom Line (DBL). The symbol conveys SK’s global enterprising spirit and will to pursue happiness.[4]
The logo’s butterfly-like form is documented in the company’s trademark registrations. The mark consists of a butterfly design and the phrase “SK HYNIX” in stylized font, with the letters “SK” and the interior of the butterfly in red, and the word “HYNIX” and the exterior of the butterfly in orange.[5]
Typography and Design
SK hynix’s official color system designates SK Red and SK Orange as the primary colors that represent the company. SK Red is specified as PANTONE 186 C with HEX value #EA002C, and SK Orange is specified as PANTONE 158 C with HEX value #F47725.[4]
The official CI guidelines also define a space system for the logo, requiring a minimum clear space of 0.5X around the mark (where X is the height of the wordmark letter “K”), with a reduced 0.25X guideline permitted only for digital media, billboards, outdoor signs and printouts where readability is constrained.[4]
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