The Polar logo resembles a point moving along a snowy trail and pulsating. The emblem reflects the heartbeat of an athlete in extreme conditions. The sign introduces the customer to the main concept of the brand.
Polar: Brand overview
Founded: | 1977 |
Founder: | Seppo Säynäjäkangas |
Headquarters: | Kempele, Finland |
Website: | polar.com |
Polar is a Finnish company producing health monitoring devices for athletes and health-conscious individuals. The brand’s heart rate monitors are the most well-known products. Currently, over 20 models are available. The company has 35,000 retail outlets in 80 countries.
Meaning and History
The company is quite consistent in its visual preferences and has not updated its identity in the last 50 years. This consistency is also true for the product on which the company is focused. The main message of the sign is encrypted in additional transformations of the characters. Modifications make the wordmark memorable and create strong associations with winter, cold, and the hot breath of sports.
What is Polar?
A sports electronics manufacturer with headquarters in Kempele and 26 subsidiary companies in other countries. The main products are heart rate monitors, sports watches, cardio sensors, running speed detectors, bike computers, and accessories for them.
1977 – today
The company’s logo consists of the brand name intersected by a white line. The brand name was not chosen randomly. It represents the Arctic Circle, which passes through the territory of Finland, the country of the company’s origin.
The white line directly on the word represents this cold snowy boundary. The stripe partially cuts through the letters, just as the northern meridian places part of the country beyond the Arctic Circle. The stroke personifies movement: running, skiing, for which the heart rate monitor was originally designed.
The letter O is designed as a red circle, symbolizing:
- The sun of the polar region. In this area, it often does not set below the horizon and shines 24 hours a day. At that time, the sun and the sky around it appear red.
- Pulse. The first product of the brand – heart rate monitors The Sport Tester PE2000.
- The shape of the main products. Most indicators are measured using sensors built into watches with a round screen.
The special emphasis on the letter O is related to the full name of the company – Oy Polar Electro. The entire inscription, like a watch strap with a display, connects the emblem and products familiar to consumers.
Font and Colors
The emblem is built on a combination of contrasting colors, having multiple associations.
- Red – blood, heart, pulse, warmth from movement, sports exercises.
- White – snow, cold, extreme conditions, health, medical supervision.
- Black – reliability, confidence, constancy.
The combination of red and white creates a contrast between cold weather and a heated skier or runner. The idea of developing pulse meters came to Seppo Säynäjäkangas while skiing.
The contrast between black and red is the opposition of movement and energy with the precision of mechanism performance. It hints at activities with precise control of all indicators.
The font of the inscription is unique due to the white line that cuts through and alters the characters. The resulting open glyphs indicate development and sports achievements.
Polar color codes
Alizarin Crimson | Hex color: | #e71833 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 231 24 51 | |
CMYK: | 0 90 78 9 | |
Pantone: | PMS 1788 C |
Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |