Airtel Logo PNG
One of the world’s largest telecommunication companies, Bharti Airtel Limited has a somewhat futuristic logo with a deep symbolic meaning.
Meaning and history
The history of Airtel dates back to 1984. The company was founded by Indian entrepreneur Sunil Bharti Mittal, who led it the long way from a small firm to the country’s largest mobile network operator. In 2015, it was named the world’s third largest mobile network, while the number of subscribers reached 386 million.
What is Airtel?
Airtel is the name of an Indian telecommunication company, which was established in 1995, and is known for providing such services as fixed-line telephone, mobile phone, satellite, and digital TV, IPTV, and internet television. The company operates almost in 20 countries in Asia and Africa.
1994 – 2002
A red ellipse not only framed the “AirTel” inscription, but also added dynamics and a feeling of leadership, strength, and energy. The company name was printed using a Bureau Grot Wide Black or similar font. The slogan underneath featured a font similar to Humanist 777. It was printed in two lines with the second line being indented further to the right and featuring a red color instead of red used for the first line to match the color of the ellipse.
1995 – 2010
The earliest Airtel logo on the list dates back to 1995. Here, the wordmark was combined with two red rectangles. The smaller one, which was standing on its narrow side, was positioned to the left of the “A.” The larger rectangle formed the background behind the lettering “tel,” which was white.
The word “Air” was placed between the two rectangles. The glyphs were black, while the dot above the “I” was red.
Quite a few people remember an alternative old logo with a black wordmark inside a red ellipse. Up to 2010, the company was using another emblem, with slimmer letters inside white and red squares. The dot above the “i” was placed in a somewhat unusual position to emphasize the brand’s strive for innovation.
2010 – Today
The company’s further expansion required a new global branding strategy. Its implementation started in 2010 in India. The new logo, which was the highlight of the rebranding program, was created by The Brand Union firm headquartered in London.
The core of the logo is a stylized “a,” or, as the company puts it, the Airtel wave. In fact, the name “wave” was chosen as the result of a six-month-long online contest. The symbol is supposed to convey a “no boundaries” idea.
While the 2010 logo is definitely a move forward in comparison with its predecessor, some designers have criticized it for a lack of identity claiming that it looks too much like the emblems of Vodafone, Videocon, and Air Arabia, to name just a few. Interestingly enough, the Vodafone logo was created by the same Brand Union agency. Also, the critics point out that the symbol actually looks more like an uppercase “D” than a lowercase “a,” this being one of the reasons why the “airtel” lettering is required.
Font
The Airtel logo features a highly unique typeface creating an attractive visual harmony with the emblem itself. Similar to the wave emblem, the lines forming the letters have varying width and, in some cases, the glyphs look as if they have been cut, which is especially noticeable on the “a” and “r.” Due to the “cut” effect, the letters better fit the wave emblem.
Color
The company explains that red has been used as the symbol of passion, energy, and dynamism. Bright red and white were featured in the earlier logo versions, yet there they appeared together with black and dark red, which made the palette more complex. The simplicity of the current scheme helps to make a stronger impact, so the emblem better sticks in your mind.
