Nivea was established in the spring of 1882. Today, the German personal care brand belongs to the Hamburg-based company Beiersdorf Global AG.
Meaning and history
1949
The Nivea logo already features the angular type familiar from the current logo. The tops of two letters, “A” and “N,” are higher than those of all the other glyphs. While there is a black-and-white logo, you can also come across versions featuring various combinations of the iconic Nivea blue and white.
2004
In addition to the logos mentioned above, the brand introduced a version with silver trim.
2011
A roundel logo was added. Here, the word “Nivea” in the heritage type was placed inside a circle filled with the familiar dark blue shade.
Font and color
The iconic Nivea logotype, refreshed in 2011, is written in all capitals of a geometric sans-serif typeface with sharp praxis and clean contours of the massive letters. Slightly elongated lines and triangular edges are what make the wordmark instantly recognizable across the globe. The typeface, Nivea uses for its visual identity, is pretty close to such fonts as Eagle, Bovine MVB, and Resolute NF.
The blue and white color palette, which was chosen by the brand in the 1940s, makes the simple geometry of its composition shine bright. Solid white letters on a bright blue background represent the professionalism of the brand, high quality of its product, and reliability. The color scheme also evokes a sense of trustworthiness and comfort.