Shorts: H.Christensen & Søn
Ole Friis' 1980 logo for paper manufacturer H.Christensen & Søn
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H. Christensen & Søn was a Danish paper wholesaler founded in 1949. It became a subsidiary in 1966, acquired by De forenede Papirfabrikker as it tried to adapt to the new times by acquiring paper wholesalers and rationalising production. During this time, the company traded under a monogram contained within a diamond, later updated during its acquisition, moving from the industrial aesthetic to something more elegant. In an effort to further modernise its corporate image and communications, a design competition was created by the firm in 1980 to find a new logo.
The publication ‘Logo 80’, put out in connection with the competition and the centenary of the firm, displays the 898 proposals forwarded for the competition. This publication contains a rich variety of ideas and almost has the character of a trademark manual. Designers submitting work included Rolf Lagersson IDD, Jørgen Bak and Ib Borup.
The winning design was created by freelance graphic designer Ole Friis, a graduate of The Graphic College of Denmark, and with a background in sign painter at the Københavns Skiltefabrik.
The trademark has been designed on a stylized version of the letter »c« at the same time visualizing the printing process with its rotation rollers and paper moving through the press. It gives an association of the business of the firm being that of a paper trader to printing houses.
The trademark was desicribed in DD Bulletin No.7, September 1981 as being ‘simple but at the same time of graphic significance’. And commented on it being far more ‘applicable both in big and small sizes’. It differs markedly from the previous trademark and through its extensive use, beginning in 1980 contributed towards giving H. Christensen & Son A/S a modern profile.
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