The Verband der Reform und Diätfachgeschäfte der Schweiz (Association of Swiss Health Food and Diet Shops) was a Swiss trade association for retailers specializing in health foods and dietary products. The organization later operated under the name Verband Schweizer Reform- und Diätfachgeschäfte (VSRD) and was associated with the BIONA brand, with offices at Ekkehardstrasse 9 in Zürich.[1] Swiss commercial records list the VSRD as being in liquidation.[2]
Design and History
The association’s logo was designed by Swiss graphic designer Walter J. Diethelm in 1971.[3] Diethelm (1913-1986) was a Zürich-based graphic designer and type designer who ran his own graphic design studio from 1954.[4] He gained international recognition for the publications “Signet Signal Symbol” and “form + communication,” produced with his wife Marion Diethelm, who contributed as a semiotics expert.[4]
The logo is catalogued as a logotype-pictures mark combining initials with representational elements. It incorporates the letter “V” and floral or plant imagery, consistent with the association’s health food retail focus.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The mark combines the initial “V” (for Verband, meaning association) with plant or flower forms, reflecting the natural products sector the association represented.[3]
Typography and Design
Diethelm was also a noted type designer, creating the Diethelm-Antiqua and Diethelm-Kursiv typefaces in the late 1940s.[5] However, no source documents which specific typeface was used in the association’s logotype. The logo is classified as combining letterforms with representational imagery rather than being a purely typographic mark.[3]
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