Alpina
»Fit for me«
Client:
Alpina d.d. Žiri, Slovenija
Year:
2003
Process:
logo design, visual identity, brand strategy,
brand design, brand implementation
In cooperation with Dr. Miro Kline, Kline&Kline Agency
Problem – Market loss and brand challenges
After the break-up of Yugoslavia, Alpina d.d., a renowned footwear manufacturer from Slovenia, lost a significant part of its market. In order to replace the market in Western Europe and North America, where it had been operating successfully for 30 years, the company was faced with the need to strengthen its visual identity. The main problem was a weak brand with a vague image, which was scattered between two separate footwear segments: specialised sports footwear and classic fashion footwear.
During the renovation, it was essential to keep the distinctive logo, designed by Tomaž Kržišnik in 1969 and adapted several times to suit different needs. The last major redesign of the logo took place in 1986, when, under the auspices of Studio Marketing, the slogan “Alpina, The logical choice” appeared alongside the logo. During this period, the company also registered its trademark as a figurative mark, with great difficulty because of the large number of similar marks in the Central European area, and the registered relationship between the pictorial sign, placed on the left, and the word logo, placed on the right, became very important.
Images, 1-5. Evolution of Alpina’s visual identity from 1950 to 1986.
Visual identity renewal process
Alpina’s 50th anniversary was a key trigger for the redesign of the corporate identity. The redesign was carried out from 1997 to 2003, under the direction of Dr. Miro Kline.
The first step in the renovation was the survey “Reputation of Alpina and its brands in Slovenia and abroad“, carried out in 1997 by Kline&Kline. The survey focused on the importance of product specifics and brand perception in the eyes of key audiences: Slovenian managers, Slovenian distributors and foreign fashion and sports footwear retailers.
The research involved quantitative and qualitative methods – from interviews with management and key opinion leaders in the company to field research by postal surveys carried out in July and September 1997. The results were presented to management and employees in January 1998, providing the basis for the development of a brand policy strategy and the further development of the visual identity.
Images, 1-4. Selection of original transparencies proposing conceptual changes to the Alpina brand strategy at the 1998 presentation.
Creative process and logo redesign
Based on the research carried out and the renewed brand strategy, the company’s management decided that the Alpine logo should retain the basic characteristics of the original logo, while at the same time increasing its legibility and applicability. The design of the logo was redesigned so that it no longer merely expressed the concept of ‘sport‘ or ‘fashion‘, but rather focused semantically on ‘innovation‘.
The starting point for the redesign of the logo was to increase the legibility and, consequently, the visibility of the logo. To improve the legibility of the logo, the number of stripes in the logo was reduced from 11 to 5 and the circle was changed to an ellipse, thus achieving a better ratio of positive to negative spaces in the logo.
Refurbishment of the “Alpina” sign
Due to the 1986 trademark registration requirements, the typography of the “alpina” had to remain as much as possible in line with the original, which was inspired by the Erie typography.
Result – unified communications
With these changes, Alpina has overhauled its brand strategy, unifying its overall graphic identity and ensuring that, in the two decades since the redesign, its products have more clearly communicated Alpina’s values and innovation.
