Merlion: Brand overview
Oleg Karchev and Alexey Abramov founded Merlion in 1992 in the city of Krasnogorsk in the Moscow region of the Russian Federation. Initially, the company’s main focus was computer assembly and cooperation with retail stores, but it soon switched to the distribution of individual components. By 1995, the company began selling components manufactured in Asia-Pacific countries, particularly motherboards and graphic interfaces.
Over time, Merlion significantly expanded its reach, eventually working with 670 brands, with direct distribution agreements with more than 400. Currently, the company’s affiliates are more than 8000 organizations covering all regions of Russia and CIS countries. The expansion of Merlion’s retail network, including Citilink and Pozitronika stores, as well as its ownership of Russian hardware manufacturer iRU and other well-known labels, has strengthened the company’s presence in the market.
Today, Merlion is the dominant distributor in Russia, operating in various verticals, including computers, digital gadgets, home appliances, office supplies, furniture, and even corporate gifts.
Meaning and History
1992 – today
Although the Merlion logo consists of a single lettering, it harmoniously incorporates a graphic element replacing the letter “E.” To emphasize the importance of this symbol and to distinguish it from the letters, the designers colored it in red and designed it in the form of three wavy lines. The other letters of the name are typed in lowercase font with rounded glyphs. The exception is the letter “l,” which is depicted in the form of a vertical bar. Some symbols are supplemented with small triangular serifs located on the left side and resembling individual spikes.
It seems that there is a small surprise in the logo – the red letter “E.” These three wavy lines resemble small waves in the ocean, making it clear that Merlion is something cool and changeable. The vertical letter “l” rises up like a lighthouse. The little spikes on some of the letters are like a cherry on top, giving the logo a twist but not too strong. It’s a simple logo, but it makes you think about what the company does.
Merlion color codes
Light Red | Hex color: | #ff3030 |
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RGB: | 255 48 48 | |
CMYK: | 0 81 81 0 | |
Pantone: | PMS Bright Red C |
Eerie Black | Hex color: | #202020 |
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RGB: | 32 32 32 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 0 87 | |
Pantone: | PMS Neutral Black C |