Landor is an American brand consulting firm founded in 1941 by Walter Landor, who pioneered some research, design, and consulting methods that the branding industry still uses.
Headquartered in San Francisco, the company maintains 32 offices, including China, France, Germany, India, Italy, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Singapore, Australia, Japan, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates and the United States. Landor is a member of the network WPP plc, the world's largest advertising company by revenues.
History
Origin
German immigrant Walter Landor and his wife Josephine (the original "associate") founded the company in 1941. Walter Landor intended to "...concentrate on designing everyday products that would make life more pleasant and more beautiful." For Arrowhead, Landor created a tilt bottle with two flat sides that could be poured without being lifted from the table. It was also selected by the U.S. Department of Commerce to appear in three International Trade Fairs. In Walter Landor's philosophy, "The package itself must do the talking."
As Landor's reputation grew, the company's client list expanded to encompass airlines, financial institutions, government agencies, hospitality services and technology firms. This unusual arrangement was intended to foster creativity among the firm's employees. Mixing business with pleasure, the Klamath also hosted business symposia, cultural events and parties that included dignitaries, artists, business tycoons and celebrities.
Recent years
In 1989 the company was acquired by the advertising agency Young & Rubicam and subsequently became part of WPP Group.
In 1994, the Walter Landor/Landor Collection was established at the National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The collection contains business records and personal papers belonging to Walter Landor, oral histories, and portfolio materials such as original designer notebooks.
Since 2004, Landor has published an annual survey of brand strength measured over a three-year period. The Breakaway Brands list is based on data culled from the proprietary BrandAsset Valuator and is regularly cited in business publications including Fortune magazine and Forbes.
In 2021, Landor merged with the experience design agency Fitch to form the new agency Landor & Fitch. In 2023 the company's name reverted back to Landor.