The story of the legendary «Bubu-Red»

«Bubu-Red». It's a way of life, the first ray of sunshine on a spring morning and the last sip of good red wine. «Bubu-Red» is everything we wish for and much more. Something different for everyone and yet always just the right thing. «Bubu-Red» is like each of us - sometimes like this, sometimes like that. Nobody behaves the same every day, so why expect the impossible from a color?

1974, the year in which the simple redesign of a study will change the lives of hundreds of people. But at this time nobody suspects this yet.

In the mid-1970s, shortly after the wedding and the moving in of Hans Burkhardt and his wife Lisemarie, the then thirty-year-old moves into his 8m² study in their shared home. The white walls quickly become too dull for the young managing director of Bubu AG. Color is needed. As was customary at the time, lengths of fabric are bought and wallpapered on the wall. In strong orange. Over time, however, Hans Burkhardt's work became too colorful. He no longer felt comfortable within the four walls, the wall hanging was to be removed. One year he had endured it in the orange cave - and thus developed a serious aversion to orange, which should still prove to be important.

Hans Burkhardt had taken over Bubu AG from his father in 1972. Without any real company color - the logo at that time consisted of a black lettering on a white background. The color-loving managing director therefore decided in 1984 that a new logo had to be designed. It should be adapted to the times. No sooner said than done. One year before the move to Mönchaltorf, book designer Jost Hochuli designed a modern logo in the form of an abstract book. Asked by the designer about the color, Hans Burkhardt calls out: ""Bright! The brightest red, but by no means orange!"" Hochuli chooses a red that has a lot of yellow in it, so that it appears beautifully dynamic, strong and full of energy. That is convincing. The new logo is then designed in the signal color «Bubu-Red» on a large scale.

The rebranding by daughter Mireille Burkhardt will follow in 2015. Of course again in «Bubu-Red», or as unbelievers like to claim: in Pantone 172 U. The solidarity and love of the Burkhardt family for «Bubu-Red» probably originated early on. Albert Burkhardt, founder of the Burkhardt bookbindery, was a passionate film maker - almost professionally (Bubu anno 1951). Even though his shots were black and white at the beginning, there always had to be a red eye-catcher, a piece of clothing or a prop in the picture.

However, «Bubu-Red» did not only shape the family, but still influences the daily work at Bubu today. It accompanies the employees at every turn and appears the longer the more, in the most unexpected places. Because the perception of color is very subjective and the area of the color sometimes plays a role in the effect, «Bubu-Red» can appear in a different way for everyone. But even if it appears orange, it is better to avoid this term in the holy Bubu halls :)

What our Family of Books says

«Bubu-Red» is the epitome of warmth and comfort for some - for others, a few apostates, but only a common orange. Get to know the "«Bubu-Red» of our employees.