News
Fjällräven vs Sverigedemokraterna
Graphic design
Resumé, the Swedish newspaper covering advertising and communication, asked Örjan Nordling of Identitype for his opinion on a type-related matter.
Fjällräven, a well-established Swedish brand in outdoor and leisure clothing, had accused the political party Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) of trademark infringement. During the party’s election campaign, it used a typeface and graphic style that Fjällräven claimed were a plagiarism of its visual identity.
The custom typeface Arctic Fox was developed by Fjällräven in 2016 in collaboration with the Swedish design studio Letters from Sweden. It was based on Frankfurter, originally designed by Bob Newman and Alan Meeks for Letraset, the company best known for its dry-transfer lettering, in 1970.
The distinctive, rounded typeface has been an integral part of Fjällräven’s visual identity, contributing to the brand’s familiar and approachable character.
In the article published by Resumé, Örjan Nordling discusses the background of this distinctive 1970s typography and considers whether its use by the Sweden Democrats constitutes trademark infringement.
Read more here:
Resumé: “Typsnittsexperten om Fjällrävens SD-bråk: Svårt att hävda ensamrätt”
Foto: Olle Sporrong, Johan Nilsson, Tobias Hase (TT)