TelkomselCopied

Telkomsel, Indonesia's largest mobile operator, had used the same identity since its founding 26 years earlier. On 18 June 2021, at an event at ICE BSD, it unveiled its first new logo as part of a broader digital transformation under the slogan #BukaSemuaPeluang, 'open all opportunities'. President director Hendri Mulya Syam said the change was not just a new face but a symbol of change carrying new values.

Marketing director Rachel Goh told Kompas the work took about two years and drew on batik, where every curve and dot carries meaning. The name is set in a custom typeface, Telkomsel Batik Sans, adapted from batik carving and drawn by Deni Anggara of Degarism Studio in Bandung, Kompas and Selular reported. The all-capitals spelling gave way to a capital T followed by lower case, which Goh said showed the company humbling itself to be closer and friendlier to customers.

Beside the wordmark sits a new symbol, a 'portal' with batik-inspired strokes, usable alone, meant as a doorway into new worlds, surrounded by rays standing for optimism. Red and white, the colours of the Indonesian flag, remain primary; secondary colours include deep red, navy, turmeric yellow, grey and black. The company also moved from many brands to one, folding simPATI, Kartu As and Loop into Telkomsel Prabayar, and introduced sonic branding mixing traditional and modern instruments.

Selular framed the aim as building a modern multinational brand rooted in Indonesian cultural values.

The batik idea is the best part, a genuinely local source of form rather than an imported tech aesthetic, and the custom type is a real investment. The portal is weaker, a generic swoosh-like shape that needs its story told. Collapsing the prepaid brands into one was the braver decision.