Identity Re-Design: Lampros Steel

Lampros Steel is a company owned and operated by a friend of mine. For decades the family business, a metals distributor, had been represented by a logo incorporating a large simple “L” as the company's identifying symbol. Within the logo, which was often printed in a reflex blue, the name did not seem to read properly. To me, it seemed to come across as Steel Lampros.

A new logo was designed again making use of a large “L” as the primary element. This time the letterform took on the shape of a stylized steel beam, with gradations giving the symbol the appearance of reflective metal. A stronger font was introduced in representing the name, as it should read. The “L” shape is also a recognizable identifier for the company as a stand-alone graphic. When reproduction specifications make gradations not possible, the “L” may be presented in solid black or gray. The new image gave the company a much stronger presence in the industry.

With the new identity I can still give my friend a bad time when he wears his baseball cap with the large "L" on it. I tell him it stands for "loser," even though the business represented by the letterform continues to be very successful.

This corporate identity makeover appears in the book Logos Redesigned: How 200 Companies Successfully Changed Their Image by David E. Carter.

(Note: My new book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, contains case studies from 35 designers and firms located around the world. Learn more about the book on the Identity Crisis! blog.)

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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