BERLIN, GERMANY, 11 Apr. 2024 – IFA today introduced a new logo and brand that expect advances in technology for life, work and play to accelerate – as the world’s largest trade fair for consumer electronics and home appliances gears up to celebrate its 100th birthday in September.
The trade fair takes place 6-10 Sept. 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Press days are 4-5 September.
IFA is one of the most historic and highly established brands in the trade fair business. Using the 100th anniversary as a pivotal moment and more than just a visual makeover, the rebranding pays tribute to the origins of IFA while instilling future relevance.
IFA began in 1924 as the ‘Internationale Funkausstellung,’ from which the three letters IFA are derived. Going forward, the three letters will now stand for ‘Innovation für Alle,’ which translates directly into English as ‘Innovation For All.’
Graphically, the previous logo enjoyed longevity and had its last refresh in the early 2000s. It featured the event dates and the image of ‘Funk-Otto,’ the iconic head that celebrates its 70th birthday this year. Created by German graphic designer Professor Helmut Lortz, ‘Funk Otto’ was displayed against a striking, stylized red background and IFA trademark.
‘Funk-Otto’ remains an integral part of the new design, but will no longer feature in the main logo. Instead, history inspires the new design, especially at the web site, by turning to the launch of color television in West Germany; then Vice-Chancellor Willy Brandt pressed the symbolic red button at IFA in 1967, marking the start of a new era in the TV business. IFA’s new website pays homage to this history of consumer electronics and home appliances with a color scheme similar to the TV test pattern that was broadcast well into the mid-1990s after a program day ended.
The new graphic design and motto signal both accessibility and transparency. IFA seeks to appeal globally to an audience that is as diverse as the city of Berlin, where it is based. This also applies to the values that IFA and its organizer represent: IFA should be a place where everyone can discover and experience innovation.
“Radio, color TV and the Internet have changed the world forever,” said Leif Lindner, CEO of IFA Management GmbH, which organizes and produces the trade fair. “AI, VR and quantum computing will once again bring us into a new era. Innovation is accelerating. Socially, politically, economically, the world is more diverse and complex. With our entire brand design, we want to ensure that exhibitors and consumers can celebrate technology and innovation again! With its new brand, IFA is set to become a place that fascinates and surprises people and gives them a glimpse into their own future – at least in terms of products and applications that will have a significant impact on their lives.”
Everything is being converted to the new design – e-mail signatures, business cards, the website, sales documents, to the entire marketing campaign and every IFA-specific element on the exhibition grounds. This includes, for example, 100Moments – city-wide, curated brand activations – which, while this year are all about the anniversary, will also remain part of the overall IFA concept in the future.
