Makeover: Logitech rebrand as 'Logi' with a new logo and accessory line

When Logitech (opens in new tab) was first founded in 1981, its Swiss founders stood on the cusp of a burgeoning PC industry. Setting up shop in Palo Alto, California, just one year later, Logitech's innovative foresight quickly enabled them to become the definitive brand for sophisticated mice and keyboards – a mainstay of every respectable office. That is, until Apple came along.

Although Apple's tsunamic power put a dent in the PC revolution, Logitech's stronghold has not wavered; but since CEO and president Bracken Darrell took the helm in 2012, change has been afoot. Just last week, the company revealed a new logo and name – simply, 'Logi'. The idea of singling out 'tech' will soon be obsolete, as it increasingly engulfs us, Darrell explains. 

Logi's reinvention also can be linked back to the hiring of chief design officer Alastair Curtis in mid-2013. Formerly chief designer at Nokia, Curtis knows a thing or two about giving technology accessories a friendly feel.

'This [aesthetic] strongly reflect[s] some core values and principles which we wanted to have in the brand,' Curtis explains of the shift. 'We talked about being confident, simple, iconic, courageous, bold and I think this logo, which is true almost to the font and typeface, has that level of boldness and confidence about it. The strong geometric feel, for me, talks a bit about the design principles that we look at in [our] products – being very simple and pure, and taking steps away.'

He continues, 'We're very aware that we've got some very loyal Logitech users and we have a huge amount of equity in the word Logitech, but we also recognise that to reach a more youthful audience, we have to push the envelope even harder.'

Not only has Logitech moved away from making only computer accessories, the brand has channelled much of its recent efforts into new areas of interest, such as tablet accessories, portable speakers and gaming equipment. This week sees the first iteration of the new branding come to life with the launch of a new line of protective cases, named Logi Blok, designed specifically to complement the iPad. The two models (in three colourways) – which offer a screen protector to prevent scratches, square corners to reinforce the iPad's most damage-prone areas and a detachable keyboard case, if you need it – are streamlined, lightweight and colourful, and will be available come August.