FRANCE TELECOM: A big 'Et' for Europe

A use of identity, by a leader

New: France Telecom brandmark

Launched: March 6, 2000

Story in brief:
No longer just your plain old telephone company. A dramatic repositioning, for a company determined to lead in "the convergence of fixed, mobile and Internet services in Europe."

Story in Full:
Read "Strategic Branding," an interview with France Telecom's Marie-Claude Peyrache, from the Fall 2000 issue of Design Management Institute's Design Management Journal.

Credits:
C.E.O. - Michel Bon
Identity design - Landor Associates

First Impressions:
The "et" (three swooshes!) is a graceful yet powerful symbol. The use of two close colors, orange and an orangey red, is very effective. A quibble; I find the 'com' a bit on the cute side, unless they plan to lop it off and want us to get used to "france tele;" but somehow I doubt that.