Miðflokkurinn, a new party led by former Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, has just unveiled their new logo, which has been met with mixed reviews.
First, there’s the logo itself, a proud Icelandic horse rearing up, with the Northern Lights in the background:
Sigmundur took to Facebook to explain the logo in his own words:
“The Icelandic horse has been with the Icelanders from the beginning. He is folkloric, and one of the symbols of the country, creating a strong connection between Icelanders and people around the world. He unites the country and the city, work and leisure. The Icelandic horse is wise and resilient. He can withstand storms and hard weather. He is very adaptable and always knows the way home. Always brings people to the end of their journey, even if the way is restrictive and long. The Icelandic horse is friendly, but can rise up on his hind legs when he needs to show his power and fearlessness.”
Reviews were mixed amongst those commenting on Sigmundur’s post, and some Icelanders have taken it upon themselves to dig deeper. It has been pointed out, for example, that the profile of the horse looks very similar to one of the top results for “horse vector” and “horse clip art” on Google Images. Icelander Viggo Jonsson pointed out another similarity: Miðflokkurinn’s logo and the origins of the Porsche logo.
As this article details, the Porsche crest “was based on the coat of arms of the Free People’s State of Württemberg of former Weimar Germany. As the cars were made in Stuttgart, the Stuttgart coat of arms was placed in the middle as an inescutcheon.” That transformation can be seen here:
The comparisons between the Stuttgart crest from 1938 and Miðflokkurinn’s logo become more apparent when scaled to approximate size:
Whether Miðflokkurinn’s logo was taken directly from Porsche, a Google search for horse clip art, or the crest of 1938 Stuttgart is unknown, but the similarities have nonetheless proven entertaining to Icelanders today.
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