Kenmore Logo PNG
The Kenmore logo conveys the brand’s beauty and popularity. The emblem combines modern technology, always superior and advanced, with a stylish design that makes the brand’s products an ornament of interior design.
Kenmore: Brand overview
| Founded: | 1913 |
| Founder: | Sears Holding |
| Headquarters: | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Website: | kenmore.com |
Originally debuting in 1913 as a line of sewing machines under the retail giant Sears, Roebuck, and Co., the Kenmore brand has undergone multiple evolutions. Nearly 15 years after its inception, Kenmore ventured into the washing machine market in 1927, followed by vacuum cleaners in 1932. In the years following World War II, the brand diversified even further to include a comprehensive array of household appliances like refrigerators and stovetops, cementing its reputation as a household name across America.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Kenmore collaborated with industry leaders such as Whirlpool and General Electric to bring unique, feature-rich products to the marketplace. These strategic alliances helped elevate Kenmore to the leading position in the U.S. appliance retail sector. However, Sears’s decline in the new millennium led to a dip in Kenmore’s market share as competitors like LG, Samsung, and Whirlpool started gaining momentum.
In a pivotal moment for the brand, Sears declared bankruptcy in 2018 and parted ways with Kenmore, transferring ownership to Transformco. Nowadays, Kenmore products find their way to consumers through Transformco-owned Sears and Kmart, major retail chains like Lowe’s and The Home Depot, and online platforms like Amazon. Despite its ups and downs, Kenmore is an emblematic brand in the American appliance landscape, boasting a century-long history.
Meaning and History
The Kenmore brand was first used in 1913, but the logo from that period has yet to be discovered. Until 1925, Sears, Roebuck, and Co. products were sold through mail-order catalogs. The company’s stores opened in 1925, and in 1927 washing machines appeared under the brand. From that moment on, the identity of the future giant developed systematically and continuously. The main direction of rebranding shifts from narrow specialization and dependency on the parent company to globalization and full autonomy.
What is Kenmore?
An American appliance brand that, following the bankruptcy of its owner, Sears, is now manufactured by giants like Samsung, Panasonic, Whirlpool, LG, and Electrolux and sold through marketplaces. In the second half of the 20th century, it held a leading position in the U.S. market: 71 million washing and drying machines sold and 17 million units of other appliances.
1927 – 1966
The 1927 emblem is associated with washing machines. A rectangular blue background represents the element of water. The shade emphasizes the automation of the process. The sharp edges convey the professionalism of the engineers who designed modern appliance models. White lettering with glyphs of varying thickness resonates with clean laundry. Curved lines symbolize the washing process inside the machine.
1966
The brand was long nurtured under the umbrella of giant Sears and, in 1966, was directly renamed to Sears Kenmore. In the emblem, both names are placed simultaneously. Sears is written in large letters at the top, while Kenmore appears below in smaller and finer font.
The name Sears was easily recognizable. The parent company was moving towards globalization and acquiring competitors; hence, it remained prominent. The top placement of the name in the logo boosted the brand’s popularity.
Symbols in the writing with sharp serifs drew parallels to sewing machine needles, like the brand’s first product. Elongated horizontal marks were associated with presser feet for fabric and details for securing thread and spools.
1966 – 1972
The 1966 logo remained fully connected to the parent company. That year, Sears changed its emblem to its name inside a black rectangular frame. Lines indicated the shape of appliances, emphasizing the main focus of the giant’s work.
The Kenmore logo consisted of the Sears sign at the top and its name at the bottom, outside the frame. This design conveyed the brand’s affiliation with the major manufacturer while signaling that Kenmore was just one among many other labels.
1972 – 1996
By the early 1970s, a new Sears, Roebuck, and Co. headquarters was completed. It was named Sears Tower, and standing at 442 meters, it was considered the tallest in the world. The parent company had grown into a large corporation with multiple directions. Consequently, the Kenmore brand became independent and received its separate logo.
A beautiful, bold, stylish inscription without sharp angles spoke of maximum convenience and functionality. Major appliance producers manufactured products under the brand to be sold in Sears stores. Kenmore devices featured innovations that exceeded the features of their products.
The emblem’s broad square symbols resembled the design of household devices. The absence of sharp edges hinted at constant transformations, improvements, and extensions to the product line.
1996 – 2010
In the 1990s, Sears underwent a reorganization, selling off most of its subsidiary companies. The remaining brands of the giant were updated. The Kenmore brand took leading positions in the portfolio.
A new emblem conveyed broad reach. White lettering on a black rectangular background with rounded corners spoke of grandeur. Kenmore appliances were in 60% of U.S. homes. The brand’s market share in America was 25%. The logo indicated that other brands were overshadowed, enveloped in black darkness, while only Kenmore shone on the horizon.
A white curved line above the name conveyed global reach, market expansion, and market domination. Like the path of a satellite in orbit, the swirl elevated the brand to the stars and foretold a bright future.
2010 – today
In 2005, Sears acquired Kmart, forming Sears Holdings Corporation. In the joint venture, 450 types of products are represented under the Kenmore brand. The assortment expansion and ownership change were marked by rebranding.
The emblem received clear, smooth, perfectly scripted letters. Vertical orientation without tilt indicated the brand’s flourishing and significant place in the market. The contrast between black lettering and a white background ensured print clarity. The emblem embodied the best home and industrial products with a maximum range of functions.
Font and Colors
Black is the primary color in Kenmore logos. The shade conveys strength and power. During its heyday, the brand had virtually no competitors. Products appeared in popular shows like The Donna Reed Show. Even the President bought appliances from this label.
The color hints at a special design for household appliances with a black coating, prevalent in the 1980s. The style earned a nickname in the media: “Darth Vaderism.”
The inscription’s font is unique. It was developed for the company in 2009 and resembles a transformed Town 80 Text Medium.