ASSA ABLOY

The Swedish ASSA ABLOY Group is a global leader in access solutions. It was formed in 1994 through the merger of the Swedish firm Assa and Finnish manufacturer Abloy. Over the next two decades, the company acquired around 250 brands and has grown to become an international group that operates in 70 countries and employs more than 48,000 people. This large variety of decentralised, regional brands, all coexisting with similar product portfolios under the ASSA ABLOY umbrella but each with a different visual identity, resulted in a diverse brand image. In 2014, the parent company decided to resolve this problem. The goal was to create a contemporary and overarching visual appearance for ASSA ABLOY brands. At the same time, however, the visual autonomy of various brands within the group was intended to be preserved. This was achieved by implementing design guidelines and design governance. The group was first clearly structured into the umbrella brand plus individual product brands with the name addition “ASSA ABLOY”, as well as global brands and entirely independent brands. The design of the umbrella brand and product brands was to be systematically streamlined in subsequent years. As for the design guidelines, they have been conceived to be equally applicable to all areas from products, print and online media to user experience and interface design and so forth. Through an online brand portal, the clearly structured design process – divided into products, digital media, print and packaging design – is explained and supported step by step. Five years after the start of this process, it is obvious that there has been a clear standardisation of both the brand identities and the product design. The result is a consolidation of the brand, achieved through reducing the number of initial brands and creating a visual link between the various brand areas and the many products. Today, ASSA ABLOY presents itself as a brand that is perceived by customers at all contact levels as being contemporary and inherently consistent.