Swedish outdoor brand Fjällräven has threatened legal action against the Sweden Democrats over the typeface used in the party’s election campaign. The company has set a deadline of September 1 for the party to change its design.
DR reports that Fjällräven accuses the Sweden Democrats of using a visual design in the ongoing campaign that is almost identical to its own. The company points to its Arctic Fox typeface, with large, rounded letters used in its advertising and brochures.
The story was first reported by Expressen, which has seen the company’s legal letter. According to the newspaper, Fjällräven wrote to the party office earlier this summer and demanded a change of design, but received no reply.
Fjällräven, founded in 1960, has now hired a lawyer, Henrik Wistam, to pursue the claim. Per Expressen, the letter gives the party until September 1, less than two weeks before the election on September 13.
The lawyer argues that a clearly different font would sufficiently distance the party from Fjällräven’s visual identity. If the party does not respond or comply, the company reserves the right to take measures, including legal steps. Expressen also reports that customers have contacted Fjällräven to complain about the resemblance.
The complaint concerns the party’s campaign, called “Sverige på väg”, which uses rounded, bright red letters for its slogans. According to SVT Kultur, the typeface used is Franxurter, a free variant of the 1970 font Frankfurter. Fjällräven says Frankfurter is the basis for its own Arctic Fox lettering.
Party rejects the demand
Party secretary Mattias Bäckström Johansson has dismissed the accusation as nonsense, SVT Nyheter reports. He argues that the party uses different fonts and colors, operates in a different field and communicates visually in a very different way.
Speaking to Expressen, he added that many companies use a similar typeface. He said the party will not halt its campaign or withdraw its materials because Fjällräven’s management feels offended. He also called it regrettable that shareholders’ money is being spent on politics.
Dagens Nyheter reports that Fjällräven considers the campaign posters almost identical to the company’s logo. No court has ruled on the matter, and no outlet has reported that formal proceedings have been filed.
Svenska Dagbladet cites intellectual property law professor Bengt Domeij, who says it sounds highly unlikely that Fjällräven has a strong legal case. The newspaper reported his assessment on August 25.
The dispute lands in the middle of the campaign in Sweden. The Sweden Democrats became the second largest party in the 2022 election and the largest on the center right bloc. According to DR, the latest poll from SVT puts the party at 18.5 percent.
