Hartwall
Challenge
Hartwall is one of the oldest companies in Finland, with a history dating back to 1836, when Victor Hartwall opened a mineral water plant in Helsinki – the first of its kind in the Nordic countries. Today, Hartwall is the leading and fastest-growing company in the Finnish beverage industry, with a product portfolio that includes beers, ciders, long drinks, bottled waters, soft drinks, juices, specialty drinks, as well as wines and other alcoholic beverages.
Over the decades, the company has invested in developing strong products and brands that have been very successful among Finnish consumers. However, the development of the corporate brand has remained somewhat secondary, with an outdated visual identity and a lack of coherent, consistent implementation and guidelines.
My team helped Hartwall upgrade their brand identity, working extensively on the new visual identity, guidelines, and brand applications.
Solution
With the new mission statement — “Me virkistämme Suomea” (We refresh Finland) — Hartwall aims to bring creativity and innovation to all its stakeholders, and to inspire uplift, surprise, and joy in everyone they interact with, from employees and customers to consumers and society at large.
The new visual identity was designed to capture this spirit and to extend into all aspects of how the company operates. In addition to the new brand strategy, inspiration was drawn from the company’s rich history and its iconic products and brands loved by Finns.
For Hartwall, it all began in 1836 with a mineral water plant, and waters still form the backbone of the company’s product portfolio. This heritage became a natural source of inspiration for the color palette as well as the patterns we created. The palette consists of refreshing shades of blue inspired by water, complemented by energetic orange derived from Jaffa, the company’s iconic soft drink brand. Bright green and pink accent tones add an extra layer of joy and vibrancy.
For the patterns, inspiration came from fountains — a motif already present in the company’s very first logo from 1836. They reference Hartwall’s roots in the mineral water business, the company’s life-affirming spirit, and the refreshing effect its products have on people. The fountain pattern, influenced by traditional Japanese motifs, was created for use in layout backgrounds.
The brand photography concept was designed to present people — employees, customers, and consumers — with a positive and uplifting approach to life.
With typography, the aim was to convey the company’s positive outlook on life. Sharp Grotesk was chosen for its wide range of styles, from super-condensed cuts to wide, playful shapes, which can be mixed together dynamically. In contrast, the new logo carries a touch of history, highlighting the company’s heritage and long tradition. Inspiration for the custom serif logo came from the typography found on old product labels and wooden beverage crates.
Team:
Creative direction: Antti Hinkula
Design: Antti Hinkula, Matts Bjolin, Niklas Ekholm
Brand photos: Maija Astikainen, Niklas Sandström