There’s something inherently old-fashioned about being a king, or any member of a royal family. But that doesn’t mean 21st century royals need to stick with musty, medieval branding.
Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand of the House of Orange-Nassau on April 30 became the Netherlands’ first king in 123 years when his mother, Queen Beatrix, abdicated the throne after a 33-year reign. In preparation for the ceremony the City of Amsterdam hired a design firm to “dress the town” and create a festive and regal atmosphere. “The most important conditions were: the design cannot include a crown, nor can it show text or any images of the new monarch,” the firm, Koeweiden Postma, wrote on its website. The firm was also told to use the national colors—red, white, and blue—as well as orange, the color most closely associated with the Netherlands because of its royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.
Using only colors to dress up the town for the new king seemed insufficient, which is why Koeweiden Postma developed a logo based on Willem-Alexander’s monogram. The designers got rid of the crown, stripping the insignia down to the initials W and A; then they modified the colors, angles, and lines.
On the day of the celebration, Koeweiden Postma’s flashy, sleek logo appeared on 1,100 flags and banners, more than 500 bus shelter posters and billboards, 30 buildings, and 140,000 paper crowns that were handed out. It’s unclear what role, if any, the king had in the design—and it’s also not clear whether the updated monogram will be used again in the future. That may well depend on how well it is received. Koeweiden Postma wasn’t available for comment on Thursday.
The new look has garnered some rave reviews. “The design is simple yet powerful, festive and patriotic, regal but inornate—a brand fit for a king,” writes Daniela Walker for PSFK. Graphic designer and writer Armin Vit concurred in a post for UnderConsideration: “I can’t imagine the complexities of a project like this so it’s quite commendable that the result is vibrant and contemporary without veering into the gaudiness expected of Royal events,” he writes.
The Dutch royal brand overhaul is likely the first of its kind, says Sagi Haviv, a partner and designer at Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, who has designed several notable logos and brand identities including those of the Library of Congress and Armani Exchange. “But isn’t that an interesting statement about the world we live in? Everyone wants to get noticed and be represented by something that can work in digital media,” he says. “Nobody wants to look stodgy, especially when you’re royalty.” To Haviv, the logo is a success. “[The initials] evoke the image of a crown, not in an overt way, and not in a traditional way, but in a modern way,” he says. “What’s also nice is that it grows naturally out of the marque that was there previously.”
Not everyone loves it. Cynthia Hoffman, design director for Bloomberg Businessweek, was more critical. “My first impression is that it looks too much like a hotel logo,” she says. “It’s too close to The W.”
