The Aurubis logo over the years
From the smelting tools of Norddeutsche Affinerie to the modern Aurubis triangle
“Smelting tools” logo
In 1953, Norddeutsche Affinerie introduced a logo made up of the three smelting tools as its company symbol: pick, tap and fork. It formed a triangle with the letters “NA” in the middle. After the upheaval of the war had ended, NA had managed to get itself back on its feet commercially and had evolved into a major copper producer.
For a company as large as Norddeutsche Affinerie, which had well over 1,000 employees at the time, a corporate logo was essential. So the logo was developed from pictures of the typical tools used by workers in the smelting plant. At the time, such designs were based on the emblems and symbols of old guilds, and artful, detailed designs were popular. However, little thought was given to the notion that a logo would also need to look good when reproduced on a much smaller scale on business cards or ballpoint pens, and that it would need to help create a uniform corporate image. As a result, the company logo appeared in different shapes and colors.
Starting 1991: Norddeutsche Affinerie logo
Even though the logo wasn’t always user-friendly, the smelting tools weren’t replaced until 1991, when the 125th anniversary of the company was marked by replacing the stylized tools with a blue triangle. The company signet made its first appearance on the 1989/90 annual report. The idea was to preserve the long tradition of the triangular arrangement of the smelting tools, while at the same time giving the logo a modern and memorable feel that was clear, clean and optimistic.
At the time, the Metallgesellschaft was an important shareholder, and their signet was blue. This prompted Norddeutsche Affinerie to choose a blue logo as well. Original considerations had included a copper color. The same font as the Metallgesellschaft was used. As a result, “Norddeutsche Affinerie Aktiengesellschaft” was placed in block capitals underneath the logo. The company’s internal magazine NA-intern reported at the time:
“ ... there is little use in being one of the most modern copper smelters in the world if we fail to constantly document this for the outside world.”