Polman, Påhlman, von Pohlmann family
You’ll notice that Polmanarkivet now has a beautiful, bold brand across our web site and social media channels.
Recently, we engaged a designer to come up with a design inspired by the family coat of arms. The brief was simple:
Polmanarkivet is looking for a sophisticated heraldry or coat of arms inspired brand. The logo can be classic or modern, but it needs to use symbolism from the original family coat of arms. However, the logo doesn’t necessarily need to be a coat of arms or family crest logo – it can very well be this, but I’m also open to other types of logos that are inspired by the family coat of arms.
Despite the simplicity of the original brief, the logo needed to:
Finally, the original Polman coat of arms featured an armoured arm with a hand holding a ring. Later, the family was ennobled in Sweden with the name Påhlman and, instead of a ring, the armoured arm and hand held a cannonball. It was important that the brand incorporate this evolution.
While working with the designer, the focus shifted from a literal recreation of the coat of arms to a reinterpretation of its elements. The designer presented two logo marks — traditional and modern — to represent the same brand, depending on the context. The design features an oak branch and acorn atop the helmet, below this are two armoured arms holding a cannonball and a ring, are all obvious nods to the original coat of arms.
To represent both Polmanarkivet and the Polman family more broadly, the bottom of the logo features a unique “P” lettermark. The colours for Polmanarkivet feature a luxurious colour palette of navy and gold, which gives the brand a regal and timeless feel.
Overall, the new brand design perfectly captures the essence of the Polman family and their legacy. With its sophisticated and modern interpretation of the original coat of arms, it provides a strong and memorable visual identity for Polmanarkivet across all mediums.