Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. is the corporate parent of a family of grocery retail brands operating across Europe, the United States and Indonesia. The company was formed through the 2016 merger of Dutch retailer Royal Ahold and Belgian retailer Delhaize Group, and its corporate visual identity was introduced at the same time the combined entity began trading.
Design and History
Ahold Delhaize unveiled its new corporate logo and visual identity on July 25, 2016, at its headquarters in Zaandam, the Netherlands, on the first day the merged company traded on the Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels exchanges under the ticker symbol AD.[1][2] The identity was created by the London-based design firm FutureBrand, which was selected to develop the branding for the merged company.[3]
The logo combines the most iconic elements of the two predecessor identities: the crown from the Ahold logo and the lion from the Delhaize logo.[4] The crown also references the royal designation “Koninklijke” that the merged group was permitted to retain.[5] The previous corporate colors, red for Delhaize and blue for Ahold, were replaced with green.[5]
FutureBrand’s Executive Creative Director Dan Witchell described the design challenge as “being respectful and celebrating the rich history of both of these strong brands,” with the idea of “a merger of equals and better together” as a key thought in the design strategy. He described the design style as “intentionally joyful, more friendly and welcoming,” noting it was a brand for internal employees as much as external audiences.[4]
The new logo was intended as a corporate mark only. It was not used in the group’s stores, where local brands such as Albert Heijn, Delhaize, Stop & Shop and Food Lion retained their own names and identities.[5][6]
Beyond the logo itself, FutureBrand delivered a broader identity system that included refreshed office interiors, uniforms, photography styling, print materials and a digital brand centre housing the new visual assets.[2] The work was recognized at the eighth annual Transform Awards Europe in March 2017, where Ahold Delhaize and FutureBrand finished second in the “best corporate rebrand following a merger or an acquisition” category.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The green color was chosen to suggest a more “sustainable future,” according to FutureBrand’s project description.[4] Transform magazine noted that the welcoming green colour “cements Ahold Delhaize’s modern credentials and reflects its commitment to sustainability and healthy, fresh food options.”[3] The broader identity used a palette of bright green, teal and blue throughout marketing materials.[3]
Brand expert David Martin, reviewing the identity for Transform magazine, described the result as “an even and fair morphing of the regal icons,” noting that the fonts, line, colour and imagery reflected “freshness, refinement and a lightness of touch.”[8]
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