Fibria

New:  Company, name and logo

Launched:  September 1, 2009

Story in brief:
On its first day, this new combination of two Brazilian companies, the acquisition of Aracruz Celulose by Votorantim Celulose e Papel, became by far the world's leader in wood pulp and paper production, at 6 million tons or about 6 billion dollars (that's $1,000 a ton, right?).

Brazil's reputation for environmental stewardship is not the best. Along with rain-forest ranchers, its 'celulose e papel' industry shares responsibility:  in the drive from Rio to São Paolo, much of the hilly landscape feels as though one giant eucalyptus farm had swallowed everything else. In response, the new company's mission statement, under CEO Carlos Aguiar, seeks to balance efficiency with a promise of environmental responsibility: "Develop the renewable forest business as a sustainable life source."

Interbrand's São Paolo office, under Alejandro Pinedo, was given the resulting challenge: Replace two proud company cultures with one more powerful global presence, and a 'green' one at that.

A classic naming process produced the coined "Fibria," whose root suggests (in many languages) both the product itself, and the human character attributes of tenacity and moral strength. That's a pretty cool naming trick (legally available, distinctive and protectable, too).

The logo design locks a stable, confident gray wordmark tightly with a clustered-leaf symbol, green for Brazil as well as for chlorophyll.

There's a visual system too, retaining 'Aracruz orange' in lines and grid forms.

Credits:
C.E.O. - Carlos Aguiar
Identity counsel, naming and design - Interbrand
 

First Impressions:
Strategy: For this company, the identity successfully conveys purpose, commitment and perhaps most importantly, confidence. For its owners, it creates a potentially freestanding pure play.
Name: Simply brilliant (and lucky, legally speaking)
Design:  It is difficult to judge the visual system without seeing more. But the mark itself is classic, with a twist or two: a symbol tightly kerned to the wordmark, and energized by its dynamic ambiguity; is it one leaf or three?

Other Comments:
Interbrand designer Leopoldo Leal notes that the Votorantim, Citrovita and Fibria symbols all are divided into three parts and that in Fibria's symbol, a "V" can be seen. Very subtle.
 

Corporate Brand Matrix ratings:  
70% structural,  30% strategic,  0% functional (est.)