A. Diethelm was a Swiss paints brand whose 1957 logo is attributed to Carlo L. Vivarelli, a Zurich-based graphic designer associated with the International Typographic Style. The mark is documented in design archives as a notable example of Swiss modernist logo work from the late 1950s.
Design and History
Carlo L. Vivarelli (1919–1986) was a Swiss artist and graphic designer linked to the International Typographic Style, having studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich and later co-founding the influential journal Neue Grafik in 1958 [1]. He opened his own studio in Zurich in 1947 and worked there until 1962, serving as a design consultant for various companies and winning several first prizes in poster and logo competitions [2].
The A. Diethelm logo, dated 1957, appears in a design reference listing Vivarelli’s work for the Swiss paints firm [3]. The same attribution is echoed in a compilation of international trademarks and symbols that lists “A. Diethelm” alongside Vivarelli’s name with the year 1957 [3].
Vivarelli’s most famous corporate identity work came a few years later: in 1961 he won the competition to design the Electrolux logo, which was introduced in 1962 and remains in use across more than 150 countries [4]. The A. Diethelm mark from 1957 predates that better-known assignment and reflects the same period of Vivarelli’s practice, when he was active as an independent graphic designer in Zurich.
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented descriptions of the A. Diethelm logo’s specific symbolism are scarce. The mark is catalogued in design references as a logo for a Swiss paints brand, but no authoritative source details the intended meaning of its individual graphic elements [3]. Without primary documentation from the designer or the company, any interpretation of the mark’s geometric forms would be speculative.
Typography and Design
Vivarelli’s design approach in the late 1950s was rooted in the Swiss modernist tradition. He was part of the second generation of Zurich concretists, moving between figurative art and abstraction [2]. His work from this period, including the A. Diethelm logo, is consistent with the functionalist ideals of the International Typographic Style, which emphasized clean geometry and legible communication over ornamentation. However, no source provides a detailed technical description of the A. Diethelm mark’s construction, letterforms, or color specifications.
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