Philips Logo
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (or Royal Philips Electronics) is a famous global Dutch electronics corporation headquartered in Amsterdam, Philips. It is one of the world’s largest and most prominent electronics companies. The company was founded in May 1891 by Gerard Philips and his father Frederik Philips as a family business.
With total assets of €29.07 billion as of 2012, Philips employs 121,500 people in over 60 countries across the world.
DESIGN ELEMENTS, HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF PHILIPS LOGO
Shape and Font of the Philips Logo
The Philips logo is undoubtedly one of the most recognized logos in the electronics marketplace. Its story traces back to the end 1930′s. This memorable logo was first introduced in 1938.
The original Philips logo comprised of four stars and three waves contained inside a circle. The circle itself was enclosed in a shield. The shield emblem and the Philips logotype underwent a major overhaul in 1968.
Louis Christiaan Kalff, the renowned industrial engineer who started working for the company in 1924, claimed to be the sole creator of the Philips logo. Kalff maintained that he was inspired by the fact that sound consists of waves travelling through the ether. Johan van der Ley, another employee of Philips, established a conflicting claim announcing himself the actual designer of the logo.
Ley insisted that the star spangles symbolize electric lighting and were only gradually incorporated with the wavy lines. The two graphic objects were positioned inside a circle, symbolizing a globe. He added that the shield was introduced later on, as an attempt to stay clear from any similarities with the ICI logo, which had an identical circular trademark. The Philips logo was registered as a trademark in 1948.
The current Philips wordmark stems from the same 1968 redesign and features the company’s name in uppercase characters using a sans-serif typeface. It has since remained largely unaltered, however a slight modification in fonts was adapted in March 2008.
The company’s current slogan “sense and simplicity” was introduced in 2004. According to company officials, it is intended to “benefit people’s health and well-being”.
Colors of the Philips Logo
The use of blue color in the Philips logo exemplifies the brightness of the sky, excellence, prosperity and reliability.
Further Reading on Philips