What company first comes to mind when we talk about mobile phones?
Before the birth of the high-tech and touchscreen cellular phones that we enjoy now, there was Nokia – the first company that made the term ‘mobile’ famous worldwide.
Over the past months, Nokia has been the talk of the town with its sudden logo change. If you want to rebrand just like Nokia did, feel free to use our logo maker.
Join us as we look at how this mobile logo started and how Nokia became what it is today!
Nokia Brand Overview
As one of the world’s largest manufacturers of cell phones and telecommunications equipment, Nokia is a giant in the field of mobile phones. Did you know that this company started as a small paper factory?
Nokia changed several businesses before becoming one of the most influential mobile phone logos.
In the early 1990s and 2000s, Nokia was one of the leading mobile phone manufacturers worldwide, producing a wide range of innovative products and popular phones. Nokia’s phones were known for their long battery life, high-build quality, and user-friendly design.
But with the birth and increasing popularity of smartphones and the dominance of Apple and Samsung, Nokia’s market started to decline. In 2011, Nokia partnered with Microsoft to produce phones using the Windows Phone operating system.
However, this partnership was unsuccessful, and Nokia sold its mobile phone business to Microsoft in 2014.
Over the past months, Nokia again headlined the mobile phone market news with its new logo. The last significant revamp was in the late 1960s, but Nokia changed its logo for the first time in 60 years!
Nokia Logo History
Nokia is a famous brand in the telecommunications industry, and its business logo is recognized worldwide. Nokia’s brand image has evolved over the years, reflecting changes in the company’s focus and vision.
In this section, let’s look at the history of Nokia’s logo – from its origin to its latest revamp. Check it out below:
1865-1898
The first-ever Nokia logo started in 1865, and although it’s in black-and-white logo, this first version is an eye-catching one. Like a mascot logo, it depicted a fish known to be the salmon fish of the Nokianvirta River on the banks of which the city of Nokia is located.
A circle logo with the fish contains the inscriptions “NOKIA OSAKEYHTIO” and “NOKIA AKTIEBOLAG.”
While this first design lasted for a couple of years, Nokia changed it in the later years.
1898-1965
In 1898, the company started manufacturing rubber and electrical products, working with different companies and factories. During this time, the Nokia logo underwent a significant change.
The company removed the fish and the circle stamp and replaced it with another geometric logo containing the inscription “1898 S.G.T.O.Y. NOKIA.” The abbreviation of the dots stood for the name Soumen Gummitehdas Osakeyhtio (Finnish Rubber Factory).
Do you think if the company used this company, it would be as successful as it is right now?
1965-1978
The Nokia’s 1965 logo is different from the previous one. The company used a black circle logo with the wordmark NOKIA.
However, one exciting thing about this logo version is that the company name does not refer to the Nokia company but to the city where it was located.
1978-2023
In 1978, the company went for a simple wordmark – Nokia in a dark blue inscription. This version is one of the most recognizable logos in the world and what made Nokia a famous company worldwide.
Designed by Dalton Maag, the 1978 version is a Nokia Pure font, and the color blue has several meanings.
According to color psychology, you should use blue if your company is in technology and wants to depict modernity, reliability, and trustworthiness. Blue logos are perfect for letting your audience know your brand is safe, trusted, and reliable.
Present
Just months ago, Nokia changed its logo to no longer be associated with mobile phones. The company focused on developing other business areas for nearly a decade, such as producing telecommunication tools.
From the iconic dark color, the current logo is lighter, attracting potential clients’ attention. The color shade represents freshness, energy, and innovation.
The letter “O,” which resembled a square logo in the previous version, now has a round ring shape. The other letters look minimalist, symbolizing wholeness and universality because they lack standard elements.
The “N” is missing the vertical line on the right side, the letter “K” is missing the left vertical line, and the “A” is cutting a diagonal line in the upper left corner.
This design screams dynamism and modernity but also represents openness and non-standard solutions.
Nokia Design Elements
Throughout its logo variation, Nokia consisted of different design elements, especially when it came to color and font. In this section, let’s take the time to read and understand the other design elements and what it means.
Font
The newly-designed Nokia logo is set in a bold geometric sans-serif font with a twist of creativity by erasing some bars of the letters. Remember that typography significantly influences how your audience perceives your logo.
Colors
As for the color palette, Nokia played around with a delightful and intense blue shade, representing creativity and confidence. Blue is also the right color for security and quality, which is why many technology companies use it to express their strongest sides.
Design Your Telecommunication Logo Today!
There you have it! Today, we took a trip down memory lane and discovered the history of the Nokia logo and how it worked its way to its fame today. Like other famous logos, the path for Nokia wasn’t as smooth. With the dominance of other tech companies nowadays, do you think rebranding was a good move? Comment down your thoughts below.
If Nokia inspired you, create a telecommunication logo for your company now. Whether you are a startup or rebranding your logo, BrandCrowd is here to help. Feel free to check out our other design templates, such as Youtube Banners, Instagram Posts, Facebook Covers, and many more!
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Written by DesignCrowd on Thursday, May 4, 2023
DesignCrowd is an online marketplace providing logo, website, print and graphic design services by providing access to freelance graphic designers and design studios around the world.