Familiar with the STIHL logo? This is the brand that has been manufacturing outstanding tools since 1926. Well, this time you’re about to discover a fact about their logo that you probably didn’t know.
With its tools and equipment in a class of their own, STIHL enjoys great name recognition as a leading brand in the outdoor power equipment category.
Imagine this: long before a consumer even picks up a STIHL chainsaw or blowers, the logo has already made that bold impact. It’s like a handshake before you walk into the store! And here’s the most astonishing fact; around 75 percent of potential customers make up their minds about brands just by looking at the logo of the company.
Let’s examine the spacing in the STIHL logo and see whether they work as hard as their machines do. Because similar to having the right kind of tools at your disposal is really important, so is the case with having the right logo spacing in today’s age.
Understanding the STIHL Logo
Let’s learn about the STIHL logo that has changed since 1926! STIHL changed its logo simply with a forestry symbol to a powerful brand.
The evolution of the logo gained momentum in 1970 when STIHL started to diversify beyond forestry. Over time, what started out as a basic logo for forest work has grown quite a lot.
In simple terms, STIHL evolved from a chainsaw manufacturer to a world-renowned brand that produces a wide variety of power tools. It’s amazing how their logo evolved to keep up with this. Over the years, the tiny office for engineers evolved into a global company and its branding evolved along with it.
In the past, they used a simple design that had a direct connection with forestry workers. As the decades rolled by, the logo increasingly tuned up, moving up on a scale of refinement but staying industrial.
Think about the current design of that bold orange powerhouse you see everywhere, every part of it serves a purpose. The sans-serif typography? That’s your signal of industrial strength. That eye-catching orange? Browsing around your local hardware store and it connects you back to nature.
The brands of power tools utilize typography to distinguish themselves. Take, for example, how STIHL practically shouts from the hardware store shelf with its big lettering.
The Spacing Issue – What’s Wrong?
Let’s focus on the characters now but more closely. The spacing doesn’t look right! So, it’s more like when a chainsaw just doesn’t cut right and needs a little tweak.
The Spacing Challenge
Examine the ‘STI’ letters—notice how they look together, as if their spaces are crooked. All that hugging in the lettering gives the logo a very strong and reliable feel (ideal for a power tool brand!). But it’s creating some problems in today’s world.
At smaller sizes, you can see that the ‘S’, ‘T’, and ‘I’ are almost merging together. The ‘H’ and ‘L’ have a different situation, it looks like they are running away from ‘STI’ letters, creating something designers refer to as ‘visual tension’, which is not very premium tool brand-like!
Digital Age Demands
This spacing thing is made even more interesting because… STIHL is the world’s number one manufacturer of chainsaws and power tools. The logo has to look good when a customer sees it on their phone or when they walk past the display at the hardware store.
Even though the current spacing has worked well for many years (especially on chainsaws!), digital media brings new challenges to the fore.
At the same time, the interpretation of a premium brand (like STIHL) shows the importance of visual messaging and how things like quality can be mechanically conveyed. Your letter spacing must be just right.
Those tight letter spacings may have worked miracles in an analog world (especially on those chainsaws!), but when you come into the digital world….
It’s like comparing an old CRT model to the newer 4K computer display; now you notice things you have never noticed! Having a consistent letter spacing on a brand’s lettering is more significant than ever for the brand image of STIHL.
Scale Matters
This means it should work on tiny tool engravings and a huge billboard. You might think those compact letters look cool on a power chainsaw; but, shrink them for a mobile website and suddenly they’re playing hide and seek with the customer’s eye!
Proposed Fix – A Simple Spacing Adjustment
Let’s talk about making the STIHL logo work even harder! Just like using a power tool with the perfect grip, some logos seek a balance of strength and finesse. Our priority letter combinations, especially the tricky “STI” letters, need a little bit of space.
Finding a Perfect Balance
First, increase the spacing between ‘STI’ letters by 15%, and let’s give ‘HL’ that same space. Just these small adjustments would ensure it retains that industrial strength while looking crystal-clear at any size. This is similar to the transition from SD to HD with the same logo, now sharper.
Visualizing the Change
Just enough space for each letter to flex its muscles while keeping its industrial strength intact, please! When you see these changes, it’s like giving your favorite tool a performance upgrade.
The STIHL logo needs to look sharp and crisp whether seen on an ad in your pocket or whizzing by a sign.
Imagine, the STIHL logo getting better and sharper for this modern world via, replicating on the smartphone or store sign. It’s like giving a classic tool a modern feature with the same reliable performance but for new problems.
Business Impact
What is logo spacing and why is it so important? When shoppers walk into a store to check out power tools, they make quick decisions on brands. In many cases, a logo is a very first impression.
With STIHL, though, the logo recognition is already incredibly strong. Just another tweak in spacing could change the game for STIHL. On social media, where everyone scrolls quickly, their logo would be eye-catching immediately.
Walking through a busy hardware store? With that more refined spacing, STIHL would pop out much more from the crowd. With these design refinements, STIHL will look as professional as their tools perform, whether they appear on casual email signatures or grand highway billboards.
Should STIHL Update Its Logo?
So there you have it STIHL’s Logo is an interesting case of spacing. Their present design has worked very well for them, and like any industry leader, they constantly innovate their products.
Wanna know the real takeaway? When it comes to the digital experience, design details matter more than ever. Just as STIHL pays attention to the details of its tools, be mindful of opportunities that hint at logos!
Whether you’re checking it on your phone or passing it at a store, proper spacing can make or break that all-important first impression.
