Usually, I don’t write about marketing, brands or advertising, however there’s a first for everything and this warrants an exception in my mind because this must surely be the World’s most destructive re-branding ever! A total and complete brand annihilation of the like I have never ever witnessed before. It is just (wrong)… unfathomable to me.
ÅF AB or Aktiebolaget Ångpanneföreningen, founded in 1895 was a Swedish international consulting and engineering firm that served clients globally across the energy and industrial sectors and provided local engineering services in its core markets.
Pöyry PLC (Finnish: Pöyry Oyj), founded in 1958 was an international consulting and engineering firm that served clients globally across the energy and industrial sectors and provided local engineering services in its core markets.
In 2019 ÅF and Pöyry Oyj merged into AFRY (ÅF Pöyry AB)… 1895 is a long time ago and you would suspect that a global company that is 124 years old has quite some brand recognition? The comparative sizes of the two?
ÅF (Aktiebolaget Ångpanneföreningen) – Number of employees: 12100
PÖYRY PCL (Pöyry Oyj) – Number of employees: 4900
AFRY (ÅF Pöyry AB) – Number of employees: 17000
In short: ÅF (1895-2019) and PÖYRY (1958-2019) became AFRY (2019 and beyond…) ?!! Or Do Fries Go With That Shake!? *
My immediate association is a rather more successful example of corporate branding/identity:
Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (lit. Telephone Stock Company L.M. Ericsson), commonly known as Ericsson, founded in 1876 is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm.
I just saying one last time: A F R Y.
How on Earth did this come about?
Ref.: ÅF (Aktiebolaget Ångpanneföreningen).
Ref.: Pöyry PCL.
Ref.: AFRY.
Ref.: Ericsson.
Ref.: AFRY Architecture & Design.
* After all the focus on this site is on the musical aspects of things in life.