More than just a logo for the future
Berlin, 09.04.2024. When the world’s largest trade fair for consumer electronics and home appliances celebrates its 100th birthday in September, the familiar IFA initials will be presented in a new design. But the anniversary is more than just a visual makeover. Over the past six months, IFA Management GmbH, in close cooperation with its shareholders – gfu Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH, owner of the IFA brand rights, and Clarion Ltd – has initiated an extensive redesign process for the entire IFA brand. Highsnobiety was commissioned for this ambitious task; the agency not only specialises in communication, but is globally recognised within lifestyle and fashion.
IFA is one of the most historic and highly established brands in the trade fair business. The previous logo enjoyed longevity and had its last refresh in the early 2000s. With its many components of IFA lettering, the respective event dates and the image of the so-called ‘Funk-Otto’, the striking, stylised redhead and previous IFA trademark, was no longer up to date. It was therefore time to revise the IFA brand universe – and the 100th anniversary was the pivotal moment.
During the briefing, care was taken to ensure that the rebranding paid tribute to the origins of the IFA brand, whilst instilling future relevance. The redesign is simpler in order to drive recognition value. An historic IFA milestone served as the inspiration for the implementation of the new design: the launch of colour television in West Germany. The then Vice-Chancellor Willy Brandt pressed the symbolic red button at IFA in 1967, marking the start of a new era in the TV business in the state. This turning point gave rise to the idea of developing a colour scheme similar to the TV test pattern. Many people are still familiar with the TV test pattern because it was broadcast after a program finished until the mid-1990s. This colour palette pays homage to important consumer electronics of the past, while keeping it current, contemporary, and future-oriented. In this way, IFA reflects its origins within every aspect of the design. During development, it was important that the entire IFA network felt addressed. Ultimately, the design is aimed equally at both consumer electronics and household appliances, the latter of which have been an elementary component of IFA for over 15 years.
The ‘Funk-Otto’ remains an integral part of the new design, but will no longer feature in the main logo. Instead, exhibitors and trade fair visitors will encounter him on various, specific occasions from now on. The iconic head, created by German graphic designer Professor Helmut Lortz, is celebrating its 70th birthday this year.
Another part of IFA’s origins is the name ‘Internationale Funkausstellung’ from which the three letters IFA are derived. This name is also still familiar to many people and is therefore part of a new logo variant. Going forward, the three letters will now stand for ‘Innovation für Alle’ which also translates directly into English as ‘Innovation For All’.
The new graphic design and motto signal both accessibility and transparency. IFA wants to appeal globally to an audience that is as diverse as the city of Berlin, where it is based. This also applies to the values that IFA and its organiser represent: that IFA should be a place where everyone can discover and experience innovation. And that is exactly how the communication is designed to be: open, indiscriminate, and contemporary.
Leif Lindner, CEO of IFA Management GmbH, explains: “We are all currently in a dynamic phase, socially, politically and economically. At the same time, innovation is accelerating at a technical level due to the constant development of artificial intelligence. Moods are currently more diverse and complex than they were in the last decade, for example. With our entire brand design, we want to ensure that exhibitors and consumers can celebrate technology and innovation again! We are in a state of flux. Just as the radio, the colour TV and the Internet have changed the world forever, AI, VR and quantum computing will once again bring us into a new era. IFA, with its new brand, is set to become a place that fascinates and surprises people and gives them a glimpse into their own future – at least in terms of products and applications that will have a significant impact on their lives.”
Dr. Sara Warneke, Managing Director of gfu Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH, the owner of the IFA brand rights, adds: “Innovation is the reason why IFA has been taking place for 100 years. That’s why it was important for us to rebrand in a way that reflects this path. The new textual and visual brand takes this into account. This logo clearly sets us apart from trade fairs whose portfolio overlaps with that of IFA. There is a much higher recognition value with which we will strengthen the IFA brand. At the same time, the changes will continue to show where we started from.”
IFA Management, gfu and Highsnobiety have worked intensively together on the strategy and the so-called “Brand Universe” for IFA. Everything related to this will be successively implemented in the coming weeks and months, with the visual identity and all IFA-related activations. From the e-mail signature to business cards and the website to sales documents, everything is currently being converted to the new design. The entire marketing campaign will reflect the rebranding and every IFA-specific element on the exhibition grounds will also incorporate the rebranding. This includes, for example, 100Moments – city-wide, curated brand activations – which, while this year are all about the anniversary, will also remain part of the overall IFA concept in the future.
Together with gfu and Clarion, IFA Management GmbH will continue to develop IFA as the world’s most important trade fair for consumer electronics and home appliances. The rebranding marks the beginning of the next phase.
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