Light & Coley heals ‘abused’ Esselte logo

Light & Coley has redesigned the “misused and abused” identity of Esselte, one of the world’s largest office products suppliers.

Swedish-owned Esselte has a presence in virtually every country in the world. The old logotype appeared in a variety of typefaces in different regions, and the corporate symbol “was similarly misused and abused”, says a Light & Coley spokeswoman.

Light & Coley design director Gordon Bremner says: “We redrew both the logotype and the symbol and fixed their relationship within a holding shape. We have specified the Esselte-owned Officina as the new corporate typeface.”

The identity is being rolled out across product lines, corporate communications and signage. It is also being applied to Esselte’s subsidiaries.

Esselte Europe design manager David Wolstenholme says Light & Coley was appointed after a three-way paid pitch. He says Esselte’s “new bold face” retains key visual links with the old identity: “This is important in a product sector where the roll-out may take up to two years.”