Akzo
1988
Largest unknown
Akzo was a worldwide corporation based in the Netherlands, producing chemicals, man-made fibres, coatings and health care products. Through the crises of the 70s in the oil and man-made fibre industries, its 350 companies had continued to operate under their own names, building up their own reputations without acknowledging a relationship with Akzo. As a result, by the mid-1980s, Akzo was virtually unknown. As one analyst said ‘it is the world’s largest unknown company.’ Akzo wanted to realise its true value.
Human factor
Wolff Olins created a new, all-embracing symbol to express Akzo’s spirit, which captures the company’s historic strengths. The figure with outstretched arms, inspired by a sculpture dating from 450 BC, stands for the human factor, and symbolises Akzo’s entrepreneurial culture. By applying the image of the individual consistently across the corporation, Akzo created a sense of unity for its diverse businesses.
Unity and acquisition
The new identity system was launched in 1988, and an award-winning advertising campaign quickly made Akzo much better known. Over time, the identity also fostered much greater internal co-operation. Six years later, Akzo merged with Nobel Industries, to form Akzo Nobel, and in 2007 Akzo Nobel acquired ICI. A year later, Akzo Nobel updated its identity. Akzo Nobel is now a Fortune Global 500 company, with 68,000 people in more than 80 countries.
