The magentamorphosis

Who on earth turned magenta into a brand color? And how? And why? A contemporary witness and observing participant (from 1991 to 2015) looks back (for a detailed account, see: Jürgen Häusler, What Brands Could Achieve, Wiesbaden 2021, pp. 243–249): magenta was considered a taboo breaker in an otherwise sober industry. It was by no means associated with technical precision or seriousness. Rather, it was a color somewhere between flashy, suggestive, and shameless. At the time, companies used blue, gray, or muted tones to signal reliability and performance. Magenta, by contrast, appeared provocative and unpredictable – a deliberate disruption in the color space of the German economy. And it was precisely this disruption that became a color shock with consequences – and thus a strategic opportunity. Today, magenta is considered perhaps the most powerful (and valuable) color brand in Europe and beyond – and rightly so. But how did a single color become the unmistakable identifier of a company? And who were the people who strategically shaped and decisively advanced this path?

Behind the story lies one of the most extensive, elaborate, and long-term branding programs in Europe. With magenta, Deutsche Telekom did not just make a mark – it established one strategically, over decades, through all transformations of markets, technologies, and media. This is not just a case of good color choice, but a textbook example of systematically executed brand management at the intersection of design, organization, law, and communication.

The story of magenta cannot be told as a tale of heroism. The rise of a color to a brand was not a solo act, but the result of collective effort, institutional routines, and strategic perseverance. Hundreds (thousands?) of people were involved – spanning even several generations. Among them were smart decision-makers inside the company, creative minds in external consulting firms, designers, communication strategists, legal experts, and controllers. Numerous departments contributed to making magenta an experiential brand – from product development and sales to sponsorship, from legal and finance to HR. A key role was played by the brand and communications departments as well as the in-house brand legal team. The latter worked closely over many years with specialized external trademark lawyers to protect the color as a brand throughout Europe – a complex and lengthy endeavor requiring the interlocking of technical, legal, and strategic expertise. Especially in the fields of brand development and trademark protection, one thing became evident: successful branding is cooperative work. A long line of contributions can also be traced on the agency side – from design firms and brand consultants to advertising agencies, architectural offices, and event service providers.

And yet, two individuals can undoubtedly be highlighted who assumed responsibility at critical junctures and made key decisions. Jürgen Kindervater (1945–2023), head of corporate communications from 1990 to 2002, was the key internal driver of Deutsche Telekom’s brand strategy during the company’s formative years. He not only supported the decision to use magenta – he defended it over the years against numerous objections, changing board strategies, and constant budget pressures. For him, magenta was not a decorative element but a structuring symbol of a modern, forward-looking company – a powerful steering instrument. On the consulting side, Jörg Zintzmeyer (1947–2009), co-founder of the design and branding agency Zintzmeyer & Lux (later Interbrand), recognized early on the differentiating power and emotional appeal of the color. He consistently advocated the use of magenta as the central visual identifier – convincing both internally and externally with strategic clarity, tireless commitment, and compelling charm. What united both men was their willingness to break through walls, their shared belief that a brand is more than a logo – and that color can be a central bearer of identity when managed with consistency, coherence, and competence.

The development of magenta into a brand can best be described along key thematic dimensions that structurally shaped the process: invention, introduction, enforcement, further development, and persistence.

Around 1990, the process began with the design of a new telecommunications aesthetic. Today – more than 35 years later – magenta is firmly anchored in the public perception as the trademark of Deutsche Telekom. In the transitional phase from state administration to market competition – more precisely: between the first postal reform (1989) and the privatization of Telekom (1995) – the visual identity of the new company had to be completely reimagined. Magenta was not chosen entirely out of nowhere – there was an evolutionary prehistory: red had already been used by the former German Federal Post Office to denote telecommunications. This color tradition was retained but radically modified. The functional red of the old Bundespost was transformed into an emotionally charged magenta – aimed at difference and attention. The so-called “creative act” did not lie in inventing a new color – but in placing an existing color in an entirely new context and opening up new fields of association. This is the core achievement of the Magentamorphosis: the color not only makes the brand recognizable – it becomes iconic. Over time, the color is also culturally reloaded with new meanings. Thus, it stood in continuity with the old order – but above all, in conscious, clear distinction from it.

Whether a color can be established as a brand in a given industry depends crucially on whether that sector is already color-coded – whether consumers can visually distinguish relevant providers by color alone. In the case of magenta, this was not the case. In the early 1990s, the telecommunications sector was visually diffuse, with no clear color assignments. A window of opportunity opened: the chance to establish a strong visual sign, one that didn’t follow existing conventions but set new standards. Choosing magenta was not only bold from a design perspective – it was also strategically well-timed: a calculated move into a still unclaimed field of meaning.

This window was seized with determination: through early and broad implementation across all customer touchpoints, through massive media visibility via continuous brand campaigns, through a systematic international rollout that consistently extended magenta to subsidiaries and new markets. Simultaneously, trademark protection strategies were built, design systems codified, and communicative consistency ensured. Deutsche Telekom staked its claim quickly, loudly, and comprehensively – before other players had even begun to think about color identities strategically. What looked like a mere color change was in truth a comprehensive act of territorial occupation: a sign was set – and turned into a brand.

Trademark protection? A battle with a system. It was the result of strategic brand management, internal political backing, legal foresight, and collective effort. That a color could be legally protected and sustainably defended in a liberalized European market was anything but self-evident. It required a precise approach, expert external support, solid legal opinions, and systematic monitoring of potential trademark violations. Even the legal enforcement was not a heroic feat, but a strategic, visionary, and persistent undertaking – spanning decades. Nowhere was the importance of cooperation more evident than in the fields of brand development and protection.

All of this would have meant little without long-term enforcement and care. Brand maintenance was a crucial part of the success story. In the first phase, magenta was used with restraint – combined with gray, set against white backgrounds. This controlled minimalism created special visual impact and helped to overcome internal and external resistance. In later phases, magenta was used prominently – exemplified by the sponsorship of Team Telekom, a globally visible platform. This broad exposure was likely critical to the brand’s international establishment. By continuously reintroducing the color into new social contexts (such as music), magenta remained relevant and youthful. At the same time, the visual environment around magenta evolved – the color was “reinvented” periodically through new combinations, contrasts, and lighting schemes. This dynamic care ensured the color’s long-term appeal – without compromising its recognizability. Magenta remained – because no one let it go. Of course, over the years there were repeated attempts to try different paths or explore alternative color schemes – but magenta prevailed every time.

Magenta is no longer merely part of Deutsche Telekom’s corporate identity – it is a statement. It is (hopefully no longer a necessary) proof that brand leadership goes far beyond logos, slogans, or ads. A color alone, if used consistently and with strategic intent, can carry an entire brand identity – when people stand behind it who think it strategically, defend it legally, and continuously reinvent it in communication. Thus, a color became a brand. And a brand became part of collective perception. The success story of magenta as a corporate brand is no coincidence – it is the result of strategic design, legal intelligence, and organizational rigor. It shows how an existing color can be turned into a meaning-bearing trademark – when the path is pursued with courage, foresight, and perseverance. Courage: Magenta was a decision against the current. Choosing an unusual, emotionally charged color for a tech company defied conventional market logic. But this very disruption became the source of  differentiation. Foresight: The path was not guided by backward-looking market research, but by visionary design. The color wasn’t asked for – it was asserted. The company created a new field of meaning in an unclaimed visual space. Perseverance: Building a color brand takes years – sometimes decades. Magenta was nurtured, developed, and defended. Not adjusted to fashion – but strategically upheld.

The Magentamorphosis stands as a prime example of how identity-forming brands emerge: through decision-making, leadership, and continuity. And through the constructive, critical collaboration of many people over many years. Among them, many remarkable individuals stood out – not heroes, but clear-headed minds with backbone.