PTT Swiss Post refers to the visual identity used by the Swiss Postal, Telegraph and Telephone administration (PTT) from the early 20th century until the organization’s dissolution in 1998. The PTT brand merged postal services with telegraphy and telephony under a single identity, and its logo evolved through several distinct phases before the PTT was split into Swiss Post and Swisscom.
Design and History
In 1932, postal services and telegraphy/telephony were merged into a single brand, represented jointly by a square coat-of-arms logo. That same year, the Swiss Confederation officially allowed the PTT to use the Swiss cross in its logo.[1] In 1937, the abbreviation “PTT” in gold lettering on a black background was added to the logo, with the letters serving as a uniform abbreviation for the “Swiss Postal, Telegraph and Telephone Administration.”[2]
In 1941, for the first time in the brand’s history, the post horn was removed from the logo. The new design was square and better proportioned, with the Swiss cross featuring prominently.[1]
In the 1970s, the PTT began addressing corporate identity and corporate design topics for the first time. A new logo was designed by stamp graphic designer Martin Altenburger and perfected by typeface designer Adrian Frutiger. The new logo was approved in 1982, though its use did not become mandatory until 1992.[1][2]
In 1994, Swiss Post launched the trilingual “Swiss Post PTT” brand alongside the independent brand “Telecom PTT,” though this identity was only a temporary solution. In 1998, the PTT was dissolved and split into the independent companies Swisscom and Swiss Post. Swiss Post replaced “Swiss Post PTT” with the name “Swiss Post,” and “PTT” was removed from the logo, which was modernized by Adrian Frutiger to symbolize the company’s forward momentum.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The PTT logo’s core elements were the Swiss cross and, in earlier versions, the post horn or telegraph pole. The 1920 logo showed the Swiss cross framed by a corona, surrounded by alpine roses and an arc with 22 stars, which probably represented the number of cantons, along with a post horn with lanyard and tassels. A telegraph pole appeared on the logo for the telegraphy/telephony unit instead of the post horn.[2]
The 1941 logo’s prominent Swiss cross may have served as a patriotic sign during the uncertain times around the Second World War.[2] The “Swiss Post yellow” color, which became mandatory for letter boxes and stamp machines in 1939, remained a consistent identifier throughout the PTT era and into the modern Swiss Post brand.[1]
Typography and Design
The 1982 logo was a collaborative effort: Martin Altenburger, a stamp graphic designer, conceived the design, while Adrian Frutiger, a typeface designer, perfected it.[1] The 1998 modernization, also by Frutiger, produced a more openly designed logo that removed the PTT lettering for the first time since 1937.[2]
The 2023 Swiss Post logo, introduced for the company’s 175th anniversary, was explicitly designed as an evolution of the 1982 PTT-era mark. Jung von Matt Brand Identity described the new design as “an evolution of the iconic PTT logo created by Adrian Frutiger in 1982,” reinterpreting key elements of Frutiger’s design with a more contemporary, streamlined aesthetic.[3] The agency noted that the new mark was “based on the last strong graphic symbol of the Post from the 1970s, conceived by Altenburger and perfected by Frutiger.”[4]
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