What Is the Philips Logo?
The Philips logo is the name PHILIPS in blue capital letters. Its block capitals go back to Louis Kalff, who introduced the wordmark in 1925, a few months after he joined the company. The blue wordmark is available as the Philips logo SVG.
Philips is the Dutch technology company that Gerard Philips and his father Frederik founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Its legal name is Koninklijke Philips N.V. It also uses a shield with stars and waves, on its own or above the name.
Philips Logo Facts
| Designer | Louis Kalff |
| Introduced | 1925; registered as a trademark in the Netherlands in 1930 |
| Symbol | None in the wordmark; the separate shield shows stars and waves |
| Logo type | Wordmark: the company name in capitals |
| Earlier mark | More than 25 different lettering styles before 1925 |
| Owner | Koninklijke Philips N.V. |
What the Philips Logo Means
The Philips wordmark was meant to give the company one recognisable name. Before Kalff arrived, every artist Philips hired drew the name in his own way.
- Before 1925: the name appeared in more than 25 different styles.
- Kalff's version: bold block capitals, with a few lines running through them.
- The result: one standard spelling of the name, the basis of the wordmark Philips uses.
The stars and waves in the shield have two origin stories. Kalff said the waves stood for sound travelling through the air as radio waves. Another account, from Johan van der Ley, says the stars stood for electric lighting.
Both accounts may be true, and the exact origin is uncertain. Kalff himself called the emblem a coincidence, as an architect who had no idea how a radio worked.
Philips Logo History
The Philips logo history runs from Kalff's 1925 capitals to a flatter shield in 2013.
| Year | What changed |
|---|---|
| 1925 | Kalff joins on 5 January as artistic director of advertising and introduces the wordmark |
| 1925 | Waves and stars appear on packaging for the Miniwatt radio valve |
| 1930 | The wordmark is registered in the Netherlands; four stars and three waves first appear in a circle |
| 1934 | The circle emblem is registered as a trademark |
| 1938 | Kalff combines the circle and the name in a single shield |
| 1968 | The exact form of the shield and wordmark is fixed |
| 2008 | A new wordmark and a blue shield arrive |
| 2013 | The shield is flattened and simplified for screens |
The 1938 shield was the step that tied the two marks together. Anton Philips had hired Kalff in 1925, and the shield standardised a trademark that had grown up piece by piece.
The 2013 update brought back a bold, one-colour shield, modernised "for use in this digital age". At the same time, the tagline "sense and simplicity" gave way to "innovation and you". For more brands like Philips, browse our tech logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the Philips logo?
Louis Kalff, an architect who joined Philips in 1925. He introduced the wordmark that year and combined it with the stars and waves in a shield in 1938.
What do the stars and waves in the Philips logo mean?
The waves stand for radio waves travelling through the air. Another account says the stars stood for electric lighting, and both stories may be true.
When was the Philips logo registered?
The wordmark was registered in the Netherlands in 1930, and the circle emblem in 1934.
When did the Philips logo last change?
In 2013, when Philips flattened and simplified the shield to read clearly on digital screens.