Fedrigoni has launched a new global identity designed by Pentagram. Inspired by Aldo Novarese's iconic 1968 font 'Forma,' the rebrand celebrates Fedrigoni's Italian heritage and deep-rooted craftsmanship.
Led by Pentagram Partner Harry Pearce, the design team was asked to create a global identity for Fedrigoni, rationalizing its current sub-brands (including recently acquired brands such as Ritrama) and creating a new identity for the self-adhesives division.
Fedrigoni recently released its Paper Box, a sculptural and highly collectible sample box designed by London studio Graphic Thought Facility (GTF). The minimal approach features the word 'Fedrigoni' in upper case, set in GTF's carefully redrawn version of Italian designer Aldo Novarese's 1968 font Forma. Although it explored other approaches, the design team recognized the impact of GTF's confident application of Fedrigoni's wordmark in Forma and saw its potential to represent the Fedrigoni brand as a whole. As a result, the team decided to change the existing Fedrigoni logotype (set in the French typeface Peignot) to a redrawn version using Forma. This perfectly signifies Fedrigoni's new global identity: strong, bold and confident, and celebrating its strong Italian heritage.
Pentagram worked with strategist Federico Gaggio to align Fedrigoni's brand architecture, which now encompasses the main Fedrigoni Group brand, its Paper (including B2B and B2C brands) and Self-Adhesive Units, and Distribution. While certain sub-brands (such as the much-loved Fabriano brand) retain their original identity, the brands which form part of the self-adhesives division share the same design language as the main Fedrigoni brand.
At the center of the refreshed identity, the new wordmark has been designed to be as flexible and adaptable as possible for its many different applications. Joining the wordmark is a refined version of Fedrigoni's shield, featuring the traditional ladder motif and the date the company was founded. The wordmark and shield can be used alone or combined, as well as alongside the name of the division.
The design team introduced a custom version of Forma DJR by David Jonathan Ross as the main typeface. A modern interpretation of Aldo Novarese's Forma, it is used in two weights, Text Regular and Text Bold. It complements the wordmark, offering clarity, function and legibility while referencing the rich Italian craftsmanship at Fedrigoni's roots.
The new identity is primarily monochrome, with a black and white palette supported by a suite of cool greys. Sophisticated and modern, it acts as a framework to showcase the world of color that Fedrigoni inhabits and allows Fedrigoni's products, content and imagery to remain center stage. While the main identity is monochrome, the self-adhesive product brands such as Arconvert and Ritrama each have a unique color assigned to them. Product photography across all the brands uses rich, saturated color, dynamic composition and bold use of light and shadow.
The new brand identity is designed to work seamlessly across a wide range of applications, from social icons and business cards to building signage and the lorries which transport the paper to customers around the world.
"Fedrigoni has always embodied quality, craftsmanship and creative excellence," commented Harry Pearce, Partner at Pentagram. "We created this striking new identity to reaffirm the paper company's global presence and its commitment to design and creativity, referencing its rich Italian heritage while looking firmly to the future."
Images: Courtesy of Pentagram