SKF's new brand identity recognized with two awards in prestigious design competition

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GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Aug. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- During the spring, SKF, together with the design agency NORD ID at NORD DDB, launched an updated brand identity. That update has now earned a rare double win in the internationally renowned Red Dot Design Award. "Red Dot is an international mark of excellence in design and business," says Daniel Sjöstrand, Head of Brand at SKF.

SKF and NORD ID have been recognized with two Red Dot awards for SKF's refreshed identity – marking their first-ever double win. The honors include one award for the SKF Display font and the coveted 'Best of the Best' for the entire brand update. The Red Dot Design Award is considered one of the world's largest and most respected competitions celebrating outstanding design, with winners selected through a rigorous process that recognizes only the most exceptional work.

"We started this journey to become even more SKF, with a visual expression that matches our history, knowledge, and the value we bring to the world. The result is a bold identity that reflects our hundred-year history of innovation while also pushing for the future we envision. To now have it recognized with two Red Dot awards is a great testament to that," says Daniel Sjöstrand, Head of Brand at SKF.

For over a century, SKF has been a leader in products and solutions that reduce friction. The new brand strategy, also developed with NORD DDB, builds on this legacy to close the gap between SKF's global impact and public perception, emphasizing innovation, sustainability, and industry leadership. Inspired by the brand's 117-year-old logo, originally hand-painted by an employee and celebrated as a pioneer in design circles ("SKF's logo – a milestone in commercial design"), the refreshed brand identity further highlights SKF's innovative heritage with a great emphasis on movement.

"We were struck by how SKF's 1908 logo felt both modern and progressive. Its magnetism feels as visionary today as a century ago. Rather than create something new, we optimized it for the digital age—preserving its character while expanding it into a complete typeface. The result is an identity that reflects SKF's renewed image while ensuring its heritage and strong personality will continue to thrive," says Martin Andersson, Design Director at NORD ID.

The new identity immediately created excitement in the design/business/industry-communities after being launched during 2025.

"The updated brand reflects the business SKF has become, helping the company to further stand out in the industry, attract more customers, and drive profitable growth. From a business perspective, we are building favourability among current and potential customers, employees, investors, partners, and beyond," says Per Nilsson, Director Group Communication, SKF.

The award ceremony takes place on November 7^th later this year at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, Germany. 

About the Red Dot Design Award:

To appraise the diversity in the field of design in a professional manner, the award breaks down into three disciplines: the Red Dot Award: Product Design, Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design and Red Dot Award: Design Concept. Each competition is organised once every year.

Source: https://www.red-dot.org/about-red-dot/red-dot-award

About SKF new identity

SKF, one of Sweden's largest industrial companies and global bearing manufacturers, has giving the brand a little TLC in the shape of an update to better emphasise its core expertise in innovation and optimise its identity for digital contexts. In collaboration with the design agency NORD ID at NORD DDB, SKF has returned to its visionary beginnings, mining its original logo, created in 1908, for inspiration.

SKF future-proofing its identity – by reinvigorating a 117-year-old logo | SKF

Aktiebolaget SKF
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