It might be hard to remember, but there was a moment during which the race for mobile phone dominance didn’t seem to have such clear victors. There were a number of major players in the market, some of whom dedicated a great deal of time and money to dominating the field. One of these was Sony Ericsson, a joint-venture that ceased to exist in 2012. While the company itself may be no more, it left behind an amazing logo. Indicative of 2000s design in all the best ways, looking at the Sony Ericsson logo certainly gives a great deal of insight into the company itself.
Sony Ericsson Logo Design Elements
The Sony Ericsson logo is as much a symbol of the early 21st century as it is a symbol of the venture itself. Vibrant, 3D and infinitely fascinating, it throws a great deal of modern design wisdom out the window to make something that’s truly special. The spherical, 3D design had a number of nicknames like ‘the energy sphere’ and ‘the green lozenge’, but it was always easy to identify. It was one of those designs that seemed so fetching that it just had to be something special.
The color scheme and font were likewise unique. The cool green brought to mind both spring days and cool nights, not to mention a sense of growth and energy. The font was simple but modern, obviously influenced by the tech sector but nonetheless unique in and of itself. This is the kind of design that absolutely only could have been made in a certain place and time.
Changes and Evolution
1. Shape
The single logo for the short-lived Sony-Ericsson venture (ended in 2012) never really had time to grow or change. As such, it was left with a single spherical image. One fun note about the sphere is that it managed to combine the initial of both companies, though not in a way that’s immediately obvious. It’s a neat little design choice that’s fun for the designers but that doesn’t take anything away from the design itself.
2. Color
Color didn’t really change for the logo over the years. Green and silver were incredibly modern at the time, especially coming off of the resurgence of sci-fi films at the turn of the millennium. There was some minor tint change through the various product lines, though, with some logos actually getting more of a glowing green color. There were even a small number of products that swapped out the glowing green for other vibrant colors like pink, though these were incredibly few and far between.
3. Font
The font of the Sony Ericsson line is a bit funny, as it’s probably better known today as Sony’s modern font. While the company may not have survived very long, the initial font choice can still be seen on products today. It’s a testament to how forward-thinking that one aspect of the design was, especially compared to almost every other aspect of the logo.
Influences/ Inspiration
There were quite a few influences on the Sony Ericsson logo. The big ones, of course, were logos from the two companies involved. There were also numerous companies in the tech sector that used circular logos at the time, and it’s hard to say that Apple’s iconic apple design didn’t have at least a little influence on the overall Sony Ericsson design. There are also a number of other contemporary factors that probably had a great deal of influence – the Matrix films, with their emphasis on glowing green, are a likely contributor to the logo as well.
Quite a few companies tried to ape the Sony Ericsson logo while the company was active. The biggest name is probably Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which sported a very similar logo. The logo itself went a long way towards inspiring numerous knock-offs, though, and many different tech companies sported similar logos for quite some time.
Trivia
- In 2009, Sony Ericsson was the world’s fourth largest phone manufacturer
- Sony bought out Ericsson’s stake in the venture in 2012.
- The Sony Ericsson line was succeeded by the Sony XPeria line.
- The logo has subtle references to both Sony and Ericsson in its design.
- At the time, it was assumed that Sony and Ericsson were partnering to make a Playstation phone.
- Ericsson made 1.1 billion dollars when it sold of its stake in the venture.
Conclusion
While the Sony and Ericsson partnership wouldn’t last, the logo still stands out as a great piece of early Millennium design. It’s vibrant and fun, and it definitely leverages the design technology that become available at that time. While design has certainly moved past this logo, it still stands up. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia, especially with a logo like this.