Berlingske
Bringing one of
Europe’s oldest
newspapers into
the 21st century
We have been entrusted with the futures of some of Europe’s most distinguished newspapers, but Berlingske is a special case. It was founded by the Court of Denmark's royal book printer Ernst Henrich Berling in January 1749. When De Persgroep acquired Berlingske in a sale of the group’s regional titles it was clear that it needed special treatment.
Our task was to make Berlingske relevant to a modern audience in Copenhagen, Scandinavia’s most progressive city. But continuity and a sense of history are part of what makes this newspaper special, so it was important to strike the right balance between contemporary design, heritage, and a sense of place.
For the titlepiece, we painstakingly redrew the wordmark, and researched the development of the heraldic crest over its 270-year history before commissioning a new version. We also chose to emphasise the founding date and to re-introduce the reference to Ernst Henrich Berling alongside the web url, to emphasise that Berlingske is as proud of its past as it is ready for the future.
Creative director: Mark Porter.
Project art director: Anna Thurfjell.
