Sulzer AG, the Swiss industrial engineering and manufacturing company headquartered in Winterthur since 1834, introduced a new logo and corporate design in November 2020 alongside a website relaunch. The company described the new mark as a bridge between its history and the digital future, preserving central values while translating them into a contemporary design. [1]
Design and History
The 2020 redesign retained significant features of the previous word and picture brand, including the colored squares, to maintain high recognition value. Sulzer stated the logo was reduced to the essential, radiating openness and clarity. [1]
Earlier in the company’s visual history, a perspectival Sulzer wordmark was created around 1933 for the heating and ventilation division of Gebrüder Sulzer AG. This design is attributed to German graphic designer Anton Stankowski (1906–1998), working with Hans Neuburg (1904–1983). The wordmark, which passed by like a cumulus cloud, was used on the cover of a Sulzer brochure for ventilation systems and represented a symbol for pure air. [2] [3]
Meaning and Symbolism
According to the Swiss graphic design archive eGuide, the 1933 perspectival Sulzer wordmark was designed to resemble a cumulus cloud floating in the blue sky, serving as a symbol for pure air in the context of the company’s ventilation systems advertising. [2]
For the 2020 logo, Sulzer’s official announcement explained that the design continues to stand for tradition and the company’s success story, which is why significant features of the previous word and picture brand, such as the colored squares, were carried forward into the new mark. [1]
Typography and Design
Sulzer described the new typeface used in the 2020 logo as minimalist and timeless in style, appearing friendly, dynamic and lively. The company stated the logo was reduced to the essential and radiates openness and clarity. [1]
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