For the first time in 60 years, Nokia unveiled a new corporate identity, including a revamped logo. This change is intended to help shift the perception of Nokia from a cell phone manufacturer, as many still see it, to an innovative and technological B2B company.
The new logo, unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, said goodbye to the classic Nokia font and replaced it with a more geometric and abstract approach. This simplification aims to achieve “the right degree of visual evolution so that the iconic logo still remains instantly recognizable.” But as a result, the individual Nokia letters have been trimmed and cropped so much that it is more of a distant echo of the previous logo.
Lippincott, who worked on the rebranding and has worked with Nokia for the past 15 years, says this was done to ensure that the letters of the logo “only read as ‘Nokia’ when they [appear] together.” In addition, the letters N, O and K in the logo have been transformed into bold graphics for use throughout content, so every communication with the brand is “distinctly Nokia.” Along with the bright, gradient-rich color palette and imagery, Nokia has also adjusted its brand purpose, which now reads, “At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.”
In a blog post about the announcement, Pekka Lundmark, president of Nokia, says: “Our new visual identity represents Nokia as we are today, with renewed energy and commitment to pioneering digital transformation. We have built on the legacy of the previous logo, but made it more modern and digital to reflect our current identity.”
Of course, there’s nothing new about this stripped-down approach, and instead it’s a trend that typically occurs when traditional or established brands (especially in technology, communications or automotive) want to move in a seemingly more modern direction. Early online commentators have compared this change to Kia’s confusing “signature-inspired” rebranding in 2021 , and some say it “put Kia in Nokia.” Others question its legibility at a time when brand recognition and accessibility should be paramount.
For those who still miss the old logo, let’s say that Nokia’s cell phone division has been owned by HMD Global since 2017, and the company owns the rights to use the Nokia brand for its phones. It is still unclear whether this new logo will be used by HMD, so there could be two Nokia logos on the air at this point.
