IFA Berlin, Europe’s largest electronics and appliances trade show, has unveiled major changes to its name and logo to mark its 100th anniversary.
Going forwards, IFA will no longer stand for “Internationale Funkausstellung”, which roughly translates to “International Radio Exhibition”. Instead, its new name will be “Innovation Für Alle”, or “Innovation For All”, in English.
Significantly, the redesign also removes the iconic “Funk-Otto” head from its logo, which was first added 70 years ago.
The event’s organisers have reportedly been working on the new-look design over the last six months, commissioning global fashion and media agency Highsnobiety to help establish the new visual identity.
IFA Berlin says its previous logo has enjoyed great longevity, having been designed in the early 2000s. However, event organisers felt it was no longer up-to-date, with the 100th anniversary of the trade show representing a “pivotal moment” to redesign the logo to a new “simpler” style.
The new logo has several colour variations reminiscent of the TV test pattern in West Germany, which IFA hopes will be familiar to German citizens because of its widespread use until the mid-1990s.
According to organisers, the new logo is a reference to the launch of colour television in West Germany, which they described as a historic milestone in IFA Berlin’s history. In 1967, Germany’s vice-chancellor Willy Brandt symbolically pressed a red button at IFA in 1967, marking the start of a new era in the TV business in the state.
Leif Lindner, chief officer of IFA Management GmbH, says that the redesign is heavily inspired by themes of technology and innovation. He commented: “We are in a state of flux. Just as the radio, the colour TV and the Internet have changed the world forever, AI, VR and quantum computing will once again bring us into a new era.
“IFA, with its new brand, is set to become a place that fascinates and surprises people and gives them a glimpse into their own future – at least in terms of products and applications that will have a significant impact on their lives.”
This year’s IFA show will be held from September 6 to September 7 at Messe Berlin.
Last year’s IFA Berlin show, held in September 2023, attracted 20,000 more visitors through its doors than in 2022. Event organisers described last year’s show as “back to full strength” after Covid restrictions limited the previous years’ trade shows.