Logo Refresh for IKEA Goes Almost Unnoticed

IKEA has overhauled its logo, but the change is so subtle that this refresh went unnoticed. However, when placed side by side, the new wordmark features an oval with a greater height and there is more spacing between the letters that have been enlarged by 15% with their flares reduced, to fit better in the new oval. Kept in Verdana font, the angles of the ‘K’ have also been modified and the counters in letter E and A were increased for better legibility. The redesign is said to create bigger brand presence within the same amount of media space. Besides that, the shades of blue and yellow used in the new logo are more muted, and the registered trademark symbol has been moved into the oval enabling an easier alignment of the logo. It is worth mentioning that the company’s name is an acronym that consists of the initials of Ingvar Kamprad (name of founder), Elmtaryd (the farm where he grew up), and Agunnaryd (his hometown in Småland, southern Sweden). Stockholm-based Seventy agency is originally behind the logo creation. Looking back at the many IKEA logos since 1950 to date, this revamp is the tiniest of all logo evolutions. Yet it is in concordance with the brief, which said to redraw the logo to increase legibility and ensure optimization for both digital and physical use in large and small sizes. Overall this is a solid 'technical' update where the unique characteristics of the identity of the most popular furniture shop worldwide were maintained. And given the recognizability and international reach of the brand, we can safely say that subtle yet impactful changes to the logo have been successfully introduced for a better experience across all formats and mostly without calling attention to it.