Rossignol Logo

Rossignol Logo PNG

The elegant Rossignol logo is an example of a sophisticated French style. With the help of soft lines and a suitable color palette, the designers expressed the ideas of care, reliability, and safety. These are very important characteristics for a company that produces clothing and equipment for extreme sports.

Meaning and History

For more than a century of history, the logo of the ski company has changed many times. Each rebranding marked a change of ownership and a new stage in business development.

What is Rossignol?

French leader in equipment for skiing, snowboarding, and freestyle. On the market for 115 years. The company’s turnover is more than 250 million euros.

1907 – 1936

The first logo of the company is simple and concise. It is directly related to the type of activity of the creator. Abel Rossignol was a carpenter. He was engaged in woodworking: he made coils and other parts to produce fabrics and simultaneously made wooden skis.

On his products, he affixed a seal in the form of two circles inscribed one in the other. This trademark helped distinguish Rossignol products. The round shape was the best suited for marking coils, and later it was transferred to skis.

The space inside the emblem remained transparent. As a background – a wooden base. This created a resemblance to wood burning.

In the strip between the circles, there are inscriptions: the name and surname of the manufacturer, plus the city and department where the product was produced: Voiron in Isère. No hidden ideas or subtext. Concise basic information.

1936 – 1956

Abel came to grips with skiing and quite successfully. Under his leadership, a group was already working in a small production building. From the 36th year, the Olympic medalist Émile Allais, who wore Rossignol products at competitions, began advertising and representing his brand.

The logo of this period has changed dramatically. It represented the enterprise’s name: Établissements Abel Rossignol (Institution of Abel Rossignol). The word “institution” was shortened to the usual French abbreviation ETs.

The only similarity with the previous sign is the same simplicity and conciseness. The main emphasis is placed on the name of the owner, which among customers at that time was a guarantee of quality. Both signs practically do not give an idea of ​​what exactly the company does.

The capital letters show the weight of the brand in the market; after a year of the contract, Allais won the world championship skiing from Abel. This increased the demand for the products. By 1956, up to 8,000 pairs per year were produced.

1956 – 1987

Laurent Boix-Vives acquire the company. The young businessman was passionate about skiing and participated in developing Courchevel as a resort. He immediately abandoned Rossignol’s other woodworking areas, concentrating on skis. For five years, Laurent has increased production by more than six times.

The new logo developed after the purchase reflects the idea of development. The image is fresh and modern. And although it is still very concise – only the name Rossignol – this is more a common brand feature than the uninventiveness of the owner.

The name of the founder was removed from the title. Now the brand for users was more associated with Nightingale (translated by Rossignol from French). Riding on the company’s skis is as comfortable and beautiful as the bewitching singing of a bird. The nightingale resonates with nature, forest, outdoor walks, good mood.

Bold font and capital letters are preserved. They are a symbol of achievements and victories, both in terms of business development and in sports arenas with brand products. The appearance of a forward inclination in the inscription signifies movement, activity, and competitive spirit. The brand strives for the future and is not going to stop there.

1987 – 2006

By 1987, Rossignol had become the world leader in its sector. Up to 8,000 pairs are produced at the group’s factories per day. The company decided to expand the range and released the first snowboard.

The company logo becomes more presentable and specific—the font of the inscription changes. Loops and sharp bends of mountain routes can be traced in the letters. This similarity is reinforced by the emblem placed above the name.

It is made in Japanese style. This is a tribute to the Mitsui & Co group membership since 1972. It is a red circle with a white letter R, resembling a hieroglyph. Its curved right side is reminiscent of a slalom or snowboard downhill, while the left side is reminiscent of a springboard.

The white line also makes the emblem look like a circle of Yin and Yang – the struggle of opposites. It embodies two areas of the company’s activity (lies and snowboards), in each of which, as a result, it was possible to achieve world leadership.

The red color is a symbol of energy and pressure. In Japan, it symbolizes the rising of the sun. Therefore, for the brand, it predicts a rise to the heights and prosperity.

2006 – 2019

In 2005, Rossignol was bought by another sports firm, Quiksilver, and although the ownership did not last long – only three years – the change of ownership was reflected in the visual identity.

Large, flowing capital letters indicate well-crafted materials with a smooth, streamlined finish, essential for skis and snowboards. This is a tribute to fiberglass, which was used in production. Letter bends have retained their resemblance to mountain trails. But they have become closer to the main profile of the new owners – water sports.

The red circle at the top remains, but the R has changed to a sharper and sharper one, which evokes associations with samurai. This is due to the release of skis for Freeskiing – a sport with tricks, jumps, and overcoming obstacles. The owner of Quiksilver was fascinated by Japanese culture and designed the logo for his brand based on a painting by Katsushika Hokusai.

Therefore, he also retained the Japanese style in the emblem of Rossignol.

2019 – today

Altor Equity Partners has been the main owner of the company since 2012. However, the owners were in no hurry to change the visual identity. The image revision was required after adding another product type – bicycles- and a strong decline in sales. The owners had to come to grips with brand promotion to keep the company afloat.

The concept of the logo has been completely changed. The name Rossignol is placed in large letters at the beginning, and behind it is an emblem that is fundamentally different from the previous ones.

The triangle shape with rounded ends and double piping is reminiscent of a badge on sportswear. Inside it is a silhouette of a rooster divided in two. The bird is a kind of symbol of France and is often used in the emblems and uniforms of sports teams. Therefore, the image brings the logo closer to France and sports. The dividing line is associated with several items:

• Flag of the country: three stripes of an unusual shade of blue, white, and red correspond to the tricolor.
• Two skis of different colors – as the main product from which production began.
• Tricolor snowboard.
• A bicycle wheel with a rooster inside moving forward.
• Three types of produced sports equipment.

The fluttering feathers of the bird, like tongues of flame, demonstrate energy and the Olympic flame.

Font and Colors

Most of the Rossignol logos are in black. It is a symbol of a strong position and confidence. The first and last signs are made in dark blue-gray. It is softer, warmer, and more friendly. It is associated with winter sportswear. The latest emblems are complemented by red hues, demonstrating love for their work, active movement, and competitions that the brand constantly sponsors.

The font is similar to DIN 2014 ExtraBold, but with modified N and L, which are stylized as the smooth turns of the ski slopes.

Rossignol color codes