Vivendi is a French media and entertainment group headquartered in Paris, operating across content, media and entertainment through holdings that include Universal Music Group, Gameloft, Canal+ Group and Lagardère.[1] The company’s visual identity has undergone two documented redesigns since the Vivendi name was introduced in 1998, each tied to a corporate renaming event.
Design and History
The Vivendi name was adopted in May 1998, when the French holding company Compagnie Générale des Eaux rebranded to reflect its global presence across 90 countries. Paris communications group Nomen generated the name, and French freelance designer Catherine Chaillet created the new identity. The name and logo were intended to create a dynamic and happy feel.[2] Chaillet, a fashion designer who had earlier created the first TF1 logo in 1975, also designed the first Vivendi logo in 1998.[3]
In April 2006, shareholders of Vivendi Universal approved dropping “Universal” from the company name, reverting to simply Vivendi. The group adopted a new logo and visual identity at the same time, described by management as reflecting “the strength and ambition of the Group,” a strength founded on its capacities for creation, innovation and dynamism.[4] The 2006 visual identity was created by the Paris brand agency Carré Noir.[5] The company statement at the time said the new logo and visual identity reflected Vivendi’s strength and ambition, “a strength founded on its ability to be creative, innovative, and dynamic.”[6]
The current Vivendi wordmark is a typographic logo. The mark is rendered in a single magenta color, with the lowercase “vivendi” set in a clean sans-serif typeface. The logo has been in use since the 2006 rebranding, and the company continues to display it on its official website.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented meaning for the Vivendi logo is limited to the company’s own statements at the time of the 2006 redesign. Vivendi described the new logo and visual identity as translating “the strength and ambition of the Group,” with that strength founded on its capacities for creation, innovation and dynamism.[4] The earlier 1998 identity was described by its creators as meant to create a dynamic and happy feel.[2]
Typography and Design
The Vivendi wordmark uses a lowercase sans-serif letterform. The logo is monochromatic, displayed in a single magenta tone. Color reference sources list the Vivendi logo color as Palace Magenta with a hex value of #7E0B6E.[7] No official documentation of the exact typeface used in the wordmark has been published by the company.
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