History of the brand

The evolution of the Philips brand over the years reveals as much about changing tastes and attitudes as it does a little piece of our company's history.

In the early days, the brand took many forms. One example was the very first letterhead, another was an emblem formed by the initial letters of Philips & Co. and the third was the single word 'Philips' printed on metal filament lamps and used in advertisements.

In 1898, Anton Philips used a set of postcards showing Dutch national costumes as marketing tools. As could be expected, Philips, then being exclusively a lighting company, was depicted in light bulbs at the top of every card, instantly conveying modernity and a touch of glamour. By the late 1920s, Philips had begun to take a form that might be recognized today.

The famous waves and stars of the shield first appeared in 1926 on the packaging of Miniwatt radio valves and the Philigraph, an early sound recording device. The waves symbolized radio waves and the stars represented the evening sky through which the waves travelled. At the time it was customary for a family to gather around the radio set in the evening for news and entertainment.

It wasn't until 1930 that the now familiar design of four stars, three waves and the circle was used, first on radios and gramophones. The circle emblem was gradually introduced to advertising and other products.

By now the business was rapidly expanding and in need of a unique symbol that people would recognize. The reason? To avoid trademark problems with the owners of other well known circular emblems. The shield emblem was the result, debuting in 1938 and remaining with the company ever since, gradually evolving into the symbol that’s used today. In recent years the word mark has become Philips’ most important identity element, with the shield in support. Together they must surely constitute one of the most widely recognized brand identities in the world.