Last month the Netherlands announced that it was going to rebrand itself from “Holland” to “The Netherlands.” Now the new logo for the Netherlands and the Kingdom of the Netherlands has arrived, and it's fair to say that the reaction hasn’t been positive.

New NL branding

The new international logo for the Netherlands, meant to replace the old “Holland tulip”, was unveiled by the Dutch government this week. The new logo shares some similarities with its predecessor: they both feature a tulip and use orange as their primary colour. However, the similarities end there. The new logo features the letters “NL”, designed to depict a stylised tulip, with “Netherlands” written alongside it.

The new logo was developed to reflect what the country has to offer to the world. The minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, said that the new logo helps present a clear international image, which is positive for “exports and [the] attraction of investment and talent.” It can also be applied across different industries, “from high tech to agrifood and from sport to culture.”

Dutch institutions can use the new style from January. This includes anything from ministries and embassies, to cities, sports associations, universities and any other organisation that works with the government. It will also be used for international business, such as trade missions or international expositions, and by Dutch Caribbean countries, with a “Kingdom of the Netherlands” moniker.

Dutch reaction to the new logo

The reaction to the new logo has been tetchy to say the least. Many people think the logo could have been better, particularly as it cost 200.000 euros. Minister Kaag justified the price tag, stating that the logo is how “you recognise a country,” and the price is a relatively small amount considering it is a one-off investment.

However, the Dutch have taken to Twitter to voice their displeasure at the new logo. Graphic designers have highlighted problems such as the design's lack of symmetry and the tulip being unrecognisable. Others have likened the “NL” to a chimney rather than a tulip and called out the government for forgetting the “the” in “The Netherlands.”

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