Alfa Laval is a Swedish engineering company specializing in heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling solutions for industries including energy, food, water, medicine, and maritime transport.[1] The company traces its roots to 1883, when Gustaf de Laval and his partner Oscar Lamm established AB Separator.[2] In 1963, the company changed its name from AB Separator to Alfa-Laval AB, with “Alfa” deriving from the alpha discs used in its separators and “Laval” from the founder.[2]
Design and History
The current Alfa Laval logotype was introduced in 2001.[3] It was developed by the branding agency Landor, which was commissioned to help reposition the company after a period of ownership changes.[4] The redesign came shortly after the investment company Industri Kapital acquired the Alfa Laval Group in 2000, following nearly a decade under the Tetra Laval umbrella.[2]
According to a Swedish academic case study documenting the rebranding, the strength of the Alfa Laval brand was perceived to lie more in the name than in the previous logotype. The old symbol, which featured an alpha sign, was not considered the strongest element of the identity, and the alpha symbol was removed in the new design.[4] The company chose to retain the name itself, which was seen as its strongest asset.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2001 logotype was designed to reflect both “security” and “change.” The upper line in the logo symbolizes the sun, representing change, while the lower line symbolizes the horizon, representing security.[4] A parallel description of the mark states that the line at the top shows the will to change, develop and improve, while the line at the bottom symbolizes stability, experience and credibility.[3]
Blue is claimed as a feature of the mark in a US trademark registration for a stylized letter “A” resembling a boomerang, registered to Alfa Laval Corporate AB.[5]
Typography and Design
The 2001 identity consists of the Alfa Laval wordmark accompanied by the two-line symbol described above.[3] The text of the logotype works together with the sun and horizon lines as a single integrated mark.[4] No specific typeface name for the wordmark has been documented in the available sources.
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