Bostik Logo

Bostik Logo PNG

The light and ironic Bostik logo make everyone who sees it for the first time smile. And it is not surprising because the logo doesn’t resemble any official symbolism but a picture with a curious story from life. The company that produces glues and sealants chose this approach purposely to show the high efficiency of compositions even on vertical surfaces. And the designers succeeded!

Meaning and History

In the early years of the company’s existence (when it was still the Boston Blacking Company), cans of shoe care formulations depicted a black shoe and informational inscriptions. At the top was the abbreviated designation of the company Be-Be-Co, and under the boot was a tape indicating the brand. In 2013, she got a modern version of the logo, which is used to this day, remaining the only sign of Bostik’s visual identity.

What is Bostik?

Bostik is a leader in the chemical industry, producing adhesives and sealants. This is a French corporation with an annual income of 2.1 billion euros. At first, the company produced paint for leather products and was called Boston Blacking. It received its current name in the 1960s. The company was founded in 1889. The headquarters is located in Colombes (France). Now the company is the property of Arkema.

Before 2000

Until 2000, Bostik, a manufacturer of adhesives, often changed hands, which was reflected in its identity. Among the logos of that period, there is a minimalistic word mark in dark blue. It contains only the brand name, which uses a set of glyphs with a custom design. All letters are bold and massive, while some of them (“s,” “k”) have protruding corners, similar to serifs. The “s” counterpart can be found in Florida Serial Heavy by SoftMaker, and the “t” in Noveo Sans Black by FontSite Inc.

2000 – 2004

In the 1990s, Bostik became part of the oil and gas group Total, which was renamed Total Fina in 1999 and merged with Elf Aquitaine in 2000 to become known as TotalFinaElf and as a result of the merger of the two companies, their divisions, Bostik and Atofindley, formed a new brand – Bostik Findley. On the logo, its name is written in dark blue capital letters. The font resembles a cross between Rleud Narrow Black by Stawix and Octin College Black by Typodermic Fonts Inc. On the left side is a stylized “A” in the form of a delta. Its original shape and bright orange color are a tribute to the Atofindley heritage. The glyph is depicted inside a shield formed by three dark blue arrow-shaped corners.

2004 – 2013

In 2004, the brand was renamed Bostik and received a new emblem, in which the designers reflected its name. Only the letters “B” and “k” remind of the old symbol in the form of a stylized “A” – they also have open parts. “B” has an open lower intra-letter gap, and “k” has a short diagonal separation. Combined with bold italics, this design makes the inscription slide and move.

Another element that fills the logo with internal dynamics is a long thin red line. She goes around the word on the right side, capturing it in an oval semicircle. The strip symbolizes the high technology used to produce innovative adhesives and other Bostik products. And its deep crimson hue is in harmony with the blue color of the inscription.

2013 – 2021

The logo depicts a gecko, a small reptile known as the chain foot. This is due to the peculiarity of her fingers, which are provided with tenacious suction cups so that the animal can confidently stay on any surface. Such strength is a conceptual characteristic of the adhesives and sealants brand products. The unique lizard is painted in a natural green color with red-brown spots, which it has from nature. Starting from the neck, the body is thickened, and the lower part, on the contrary, is narrowed and ends with a sharp tail.

The head of the gecko is turned towards the company’s name, which is located a little higher. It is in bold, lowercase characters. The only exception is “B,” which comes first in the word “Bostik.” Another interesting feature is the combination of “s” and “t” in the upper position. The bend of one letter flows so smoothly into the crossbar of the next that there is no exact place of transition between them. The bottom row shows the brand’s slogan: “smart adhesives.” It testifies to the strength of the adhesion of the adhesive to any surface and enhances the gecko image. In this case, all characters are lowercase and small.

2021 – today

In 2021, Bostik introduced its new corporate identity, strengthening the brand’s connection to its parent company, Arkema. It now reflects values such as simplicity, solidarity, responsibility, high performance, and commitment to innovation. The emblem still depicts a gecko, a creature that can stick to almost any surface thanks to the suction cups on its fingers. This image symbolizes the excellent quality of Bostik glue. The lizard, as before, looks like a detailed animated character. It is located in the lower left corner under the brand name. In this version, the word consists of sans-serif capital letters. The colors are brighter than in the previous logo.

Font and Colors

The word part of the Bostik logo is in a smooth sans-serif typeface very close in style to Branding With Type’s Bw Modelica Extra Bold or Cabrito Sans Ext Extra Bold with sharper angles. Another of its features: is a horizontal connecting line between the letters “s” and “t.” For the “smart adhesives” motto, the designers used a classic typeface reminiscent of Pluto Sans Medium or Polaris Bold, designed by Aviation Partners.

The corporate palette is multi-structured because, in nature, the gecko has a multi-layered color. In this case, the predominant colors are green, red, brown, black, and yellow.

Bostik color codes