Amazing things
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Good things come in pairs, they say. Like my amazing Ariante fan, which I bought for my dog during a hot summer, I think in 1990.
Never had to repair or replace anything on it. Just plug it in and the Ariante begins to spread a lovely breeze.
Still blowing strong
The original label (nº 031387) is still there and says it is from July 1973. That year, Marco Zanuso designed this magnificent device for Vortice Elettrosociali S.p.A.
It won Zanuso, a professor of architecture, design, and urban planning, a Compasso ‘d Oro. The Ariante is now part of MoMA New York’s permanent collection.
The Ariante is made of injection-moulded ABS polymer, a material with which any shape can be made (Lego is also made of ABS). After more than 50 years, it has lost none of its lustre and colour. The Ariante and the Vortice logo – the 70s in optima forma, yet timeless.
The Vortice logo
Shortly before the Ariante launched, designer Gigi Romeo had revamped the Vortice logo. The result also appears on the production label and fits the Ariante so perfectly that I wanted to learn more about it.
The visual mark is a spiral that turns into a V, a stylized version of a tornado in an earlier version of the logo. But the way Gigi Romeo makes “the swirl” flow over into the V, the right arm slightly shorter and with an open end, adds personality to the logo.
Also, the way it is combined with the old wordmark, designed by Vortice founder Attilio Pagani, works very well. The Ariante and the Vortice logo – the 70s in optima forma, yet timeless.
Vortice’s website mentions that STZ Agency in Milan restyled the logo in 1975. It then remained unchanged for over forty years—a unique example of the value of functionality and individual style in branding. The stronger your identity, the more recognizable and sustainable it is.
It is not until 2021 that the Vortice logo undergoes a respectful transformation, including a beautifully crafted corporate identity. The revision by Facci & Pollini (it took a while to find out by whom) makes the logo suitable for apps and online applications. Ready for the next 50 years!
Vortice’s Ariante: amazing things come in pairs.
