VivacomCopied

Vivacom, Bulgaria's former incumbent telecom, changed hands in the summer of 2020. Investor.bg reported that United Group completed the acquisition then, at an undisclosed price that unofficial figures put at 1.3 billion euros, a figure confirmed by former majority owner Spas Rusev and described as the largest deal in modern Bulgarian corporate history. On 15 February 2021 the operator announced a new visual identity, already live in its mobile app and on its Facebook page.

The changes are substantial for a logo that, according to Mobile Bulgaria, had been in use since 2009. The round element with its stylised letter V was removed. The remaining wordmark has more rounded corners in place of the sharp ones, with a new typeface for the second part of the word. Most strikingly, the logo parts with orange, the colour Investor.bg called emblematic, and appears in black or white depending on the background, chosen for maximum contrast and legibility. The wider palette adds yellow, blue and violet, and the refresh arrived with a new website and the launch of Unlimited plans.

Chief executive Atanas Dobrev tied it to the new owner. Belonging to the United Group family, he said, opened new horizons for growth and development, and refreshing the visual identity in line with current global trends reflected the strategy of positioning Vivacom as a brand offering the best services and customer experience. Investor.bg added that the company had just bought fixed internet and TV providers Net1 and ComNet Sofia as part of a strategy of mergers and acquisitions to offer bundled services.

Readers of Mobile Bulgaria were not kind, with commenters comparing the black logo to a funeral notice, while others welcomed the end of a busy, cluttered mark. Both camps have a point. Abandoning orange throws away the single most recognisable asset of a national brand, and a black wordmark is the default uniform of almost every company modernising at once. Yet the old circle and gradients looked dated, and a monochrome mark lets the new multicolour palette and the Unlimited offers carry the energy. It is a confident clean slate, bought at the price of character.