This is a major change of course to talk about big brutish cargo shipping after just running on about a snooty fashion house but it couldn’t wait any longer. For a big, unglamorous global slog requiring lots of slightly rusting metal, Maersk Sealand, the Danish shipping company, makes it look like a gentleman’s career for the young and pretty. Started at the turn of the 20th Century, the company’s owner took advantage of a fortunate sounding family name. A wise decision to switch from what was originally called ‘A/S Dampskibsselskabet Svendborg (the Steamship Company Svendborg)’… which just doesn’t have the same ‘ring’ to it…
We have always found the 7 pointed star on the square blue field to be lovely to look at. A crisp, clean symbol of optimistic modernism. Almost makes you forget about the full-throttle global trade going on behind it. The big caps angular block letters of the type are perfect to make clear that they are powerful but clean, efficient and do not, under any circumstances, mess around. Even the slightly backward strangeness of their name (Sealand) give the name a catchiness that other companies only wish they had. And let’s not forget how the ‘ae’ in ‘Maersk’ neatly mirrors the ‘ea’ in ‘Sealand’. Hey, every little bit helps.
We will, however, note that the one major weakness in the ‘hull’ of Maersk is their website. Yes, yes, we know it is a corporate website for corporate people to do no-nonsense corporate things on but why go to all the trouble of a timelessly fresh modern logo and not seek the same for the website. It is, after all, a major client interface. A graphic overhaul of the content and a bit of smart cleanup would go a long way to solidify the brand in clients’ minds. Just a thought.
But regardless, we love the white star.