The elements of the company’s emblem resemble the smooth curves of a body. The Beiersdorf logo is an example of elegance and beauty. Smooth, clear skin is the result of using the cosmetic conglomerate’s products. The shades of the emblem demonstrate development and keeping pace with time.
The history of Beiersdorf begins in Hamburg in 1880, when Paul Carl Beiersdorf bought a pharmacy and set up a small lab. Working with dermatologist Paul Gerson Unna, he developed a new type of medical plaster based on gutta-percha. On March 28, 1882, a patent was issued in Berlin, marking the company’s foundation.
Demand grew quickly, and Beiersdorf shifted fully to production, moving operations to Altona. In 1890, he sold the business to Oskar Troplowitz, when the company had 11 employees. Troplowitz mechanized production and, in 1892, built a factory in Eimsbüttel, which is still the company’s base.
With Unna’s guidance, chemist Isaac Lifschütz joined and discovered Eucerit, an emulsifier derived from lanolin. It allowed stable oil-water creams and led to Eucerin, later to NIVEA. The cream was launched in December 1911, though the trademark had been registered in 1905.
In 1909, Labello appeared as an early lip care stick. In 1925, NIVEA adopted its blue tin with white lettering. By the late 1920s, Beiersdorf operated over twenty production sites and went public in 1928.
The Nazi period disrupted governance in 1933, forcing Jewish board members out. After World War II, facilities were damaged, subsidiaries were lost, and NIVEA’s rights were taken in many countries. Trademark recovery continued until the 1990s.
In 1936, Tesa was launched. 8×4 followed in 1951. The company acquired La Prairie in 1994 and Coppertone in 2011, and later sold Coppertone in 2019. Control of shares consolidated under Maxingvest AG, linked to the Herz family and Tchibo.
Meaning and History
The company has several original logos used to represent its visual identity. The earliest debut logo (after the business change) dates back to 1935. Then, there were three more versions. All of them have one thing in common: text without graphics.
What is Beiersdorf?
Beiersdorf is a German multinational company involved in network marketing. It manufactures and sells adhesives, skin care products, and personal hygiene products under brands like Nivea, Labello, Elastoplast, Coppertone, La Prairie, and others. The company was founded in 1882 by pharmacist Paul Beiersdorf.
1935 – 1968
The emblem of this period consisted of the company’s name written in semi-lettering by hand. The word “Beiersdorf” was placed along a long black line that extended beyond its limits. On a dark background, there were two white inscriptions: “P. BEIERSDORF & CO.A: G. HAMBURG 30” and “EIDELSTEDTE RWEG 48”.
1968 – 1992
After the redesign, the textual part was reorganized: developers placed it in the center, surrounded by two arc-shaped lines above and below. The result was an oval with pointed ends. Its edges are at the uppercase “B” and lowercase “f,” which received extended elements.
1992 – 2014
In 1992, the management approved a new emblem. It consisted of the company’s full name, “Beiersdorf,” the abbreviation “BDF,” and four large dots. Designers changed the letter color from black to blue.
2014 – today
The modern version almost completely repeats the previous one, except for the abbreviated name and bold dots, which the designers removed. They also changed the font, choosing an almost identical font with rounded edges.
Font and Colors
There are no graphic elements in the logo except for the arc-shaped stripes, a long black line, and four large dots. But they did not play a significant role and thus existed for a limited time.
The main emphasis of the emblem is on the inscription, so each version uses a new font. One of the latest is Helvetica Neue Heavy, a sans-serif font. It is a joint development of Eduard Hoffmann and Max Miedinger and was released on Linotype. The logo’s color palette is minimalist: the first two versions use black and white, and the last uses blue and white.







