Playmobil is a German toy-manufacturing company, which specializes in the pro-duction of building kits and playsets. The brand was established in 1974 and today manufactures not only toys for kids but also collectibles.
The Playmobil brand was founded in the early twentieth century and was engaged in the production of goods for children. At first, the toys were made of metal and were seen by customers more as souvenirs. But later the bet was made on plastic – a more pleasant and warm material. Officially the company was founded in 1974, but still, its history starts in 1929. When the German Hans Beck began to produce toys made of wood, which conquered the world. The history of Playmobil began with the manufacture of a small racing car with several movable figures.
Playmobil toys are play sets with constructor elements. The main features of the brand’s products are the iconic German quality and the well-thought-out concept of the product presentation. All details and figures are made of high-quality plastic.
Currently, the company Playmobil has a network of subsidiaries worldwide and factories in Spain, Germany and Malta. The main range of products, which is more than 240 items is designed for children from 3 to 13 years, although there is a separate line of designers for kids under the age of 3 years.
What is Playmobil?
Playmobil is the name of a European toy manufacturer, which was established in Germany and specialized mainly in producing building kits and small figures of people and animals.
The original Playmobil logo was introduced in 1974 and only stayed with the brand for a couple of years. It was a bright blue horizontally oriented rectangular badge with the bold stylized inscription in white lowercase letters, executed in a round sans-serif font. Under the main logotype, there was a thin uppercase “System” and a solid black circle with the white lowercase “B” and a smaller red dot on it.
The Playmobil visual identity looks friendly and evokes a sense of safety and pro-fessionalism. The logo, composed of a wordmark with a delicate emblem above it, is instantly recognizable by kids and adults all over the world.
The Playmobil nameplate in all the lowercase lettering is executed in an extra-bold rounded sans-serif typeface, with open shapes of “P”, “A” and “B”, and the letter edges slightly flattened.
Another unique thing in the Playmobil nameplate is the letter “I”, which has its dot horizontally cut and stretched to the left.
The Playmobil emblem is composed of a half-circle with a curved line on its top and two eyes and a smile. It looks friendly and kind, evoking a sense of trust and loyalty.
The two shades of the blue color palette of the Playmobil logo shows the company as professional and qualified. The combination of light colors evokes a sense of loyalty and trustworthiness, and the smiling face makes kids smile back and stay happy while playing with the brand’s toys.
The extra-bold lowercase lettering from the primary Playmobil badge is set in a modern stencil sans-serif font with softened angles of the bars. The closest s typefaces to the one, used in this insignia, are, probably, Blippo Black Round Standard, or Pump Pro Bold, but with the corners rounded.
As for the color palette of the Playmobil visual identity, it is based on smooth, fresh and clean shades of blue, which are commonly known to symbolize quality, reliability and professionalism.