The digital world is as real as the real environment. Despite the abstraction, the Bitdefender logo is a timeless mark that expresses the virtual space’s desire to evolve. And the company’s management gives it that chance, as it is engaged in software development.
Bitdefender: Brand overview
Founded: | November 6, 2001 |
Founder: | Florin Talpeș |
Headquarters: | Bucharest, Romania |
Website: | bitdefender.com |
Meaning and History
The basis for the Romanian cybersecurity program was a utility created by SOFTWIN as part of its startup. Initially, the developer distributed it as AVX (short for Antivirus Expert). Under this name, it existed from 1996 to 2001. However, then a private firm appeared that developed the digital product and improved it. It was a subsidiary of Bitdefender. As a result, in 2007, it left the SOFTWIN structure and became completely independent.
The first overseas offices of the company were opened in the United States, Germany, and Great Britain. Further expansion affected the Middle East (in 2011) and Denmark (in 2015). This strategy was associated with the active emergence of computer viruses and the urgent need to protect against them. Today, Romanian software runs on 500 million systems in every corner of the world, and it itself ranks 7th in the personal cybersecurity ranking. Bitdefender products are well known as partners distribute them in almost 150 countries.
And for the security utility to be well recognizable, the developer provided it with an unusual logo that is not typical for such programs. It looks like a single, sinuous, spiked band. The company received such an individual face in the first half of the 2000s, and until then, it used standard emblems. She has three in total.
What is Bitdefender?
Bitdefender is a Romanian software developer and antivirus protection with a firewall and spam filter. Its cybersecurity system is compatible with both desktop and mobile operating systems. The company was founded in 1997. It received its current format in 2001. The headquarters is located in the capital of Romania – in the city of Bucharest. Additional offices are located in the United States, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe. The founder of the company is Florin Talpeș.
1997 – 2001
The logo at first represented a rectangle made up of two multi-colored segments: yellow and black. The upper part contained two inscriptions, loosely grouped over the entire surface. So, on the bottom right, it was marked “antivirus.” The word contained two capital letters – “A” and “V.” The rest of the characters were lowercase. At the top left was the inscription “professional.” It was set entirely in capital letters and had narrow shadows, making it look three-dimensional. The second part of the emblem contained the third fragment from the project name – “expert.” The main emphasis was placed on the “X,” which was in the upper case. It was the only large letter among lowercase letters.
2001 – 2011
After Bitdefender was founded, its name moved to the cyber defense program it offered. Naturally, the management rebranded and redesigned to improve the visual identity of their IT structure. Two parts of the name were taken as a basis: “bit” and “defender.” The first of them indicated that the software belonged to the computer sphere and received an intense red color. The second fragment was made in black letters and denoted the protection of operating systems. They were typed in a custom sans-serif typeface. All symbols in them remained rounded, closely connected. Only “d” did not have a bunch (there are two of them), but they were also provided with smooth bends. To the left of the name was a round sign consisting of four triangles of irregular configuration.
2011 – today
In 2011, new cybersecurity products were launched, so the Romanian company decided to change its logo. The designers made the famous ethnic character, the Dacian wolf, the key element. This is a mythical creature with a wolf’s head and the body of a dragon or snake, which once protected local warriors in battles and terrified the enemy. This analogy has been transferred to the symbolism of the modern cybersecurity program. The logo shows an elongated figure resembling a ribbon fluttering in the wind. This is the Romanian “balaur” – a dragon. The artists depicted him with an improvised head (short) and a body (long) with three sharp spikes. The same spikes adorn the inscription below.
Font and Colors
To emphasize the origin of the antivirus protection program, the developers turned to authentic folklore and Romania’s historical roots. They chose an amulet from the times of Ancient Rome for the modern sign when the warriors used the image of a wolf with the body of a snake. They carried the installation, and at the moment of the battle, the wind passed through the mouth, creating an eerie howl, and at the same time, fanned the ribbons. So suddenly, the “revived” dragon instilled fear in the enemy. This association is embodied in the current logo and accurately conveys the concept of security software.
In the previous versions of the logo, the grotesque prevailed. At first, these were wide bold letters with a slight right-sided slope, identical to ParaType’s Futura Futuris Bold Italic. In the second emblem, the designers used the original typeface, which resembled the Geometria Extra Bold Italic style (developed by Brownfox studio). For the current version, they chose an antiqua with needle-shaped serifs that harmoniously complement the spikes on the image of the Dacian wolf. This font has something in common with Essai Regular (by ClaudeP). The only difference between them is that the serifs are rectangular with blunt ends in the original version, while in the personal modification, they are sharp, spike-like.
A key feature of Bitdefender’s corporate palette is flashiness. She is bright and intimidating. At first, the color scheme included poisonous yellow, then – scarlet (light red), and now – rich crimson. All of them are complemented by black because they look more impressive in combination with it.
Bitdefender color codes
Medium Candy Apple Red | Hex color: | #df1632 |
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RGB: | 223 22 50 | |
CMYK: | 0 90 78 13 | |
Pantone: | PMS 185 C |
Raisin Black | Hex color: | #231f20 |
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RGB: | 35 31 32 | |
CMYK: | 0 11 9 86 | |
Pantone: | PMS Neutral Black C |