The red bow tie is the world-famous symbol of an American brewery. The Budweiser logo contains this element because it is visually appealing and draws attention to the brand name. The design of two connected triangles symbolizes not some abstract concepts but Budweiser because the emblem is firmly tied to the brand.
Budweiser: Brand overview
Founded: | 1876 |
Founder: | Anheuser–Busch |
Headquarters: |
United States |
Website: | budweiser.com |
Meaning and History
The brand has become popular since the century before last, thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign. One of her advertising success factors was a successful and visually appealing logo that garnered consumer confidence. Over the years, it has undergone at least 15 changes. But the design remained consistent: each successive version was somewhat similar to the previous one. This made it possible to make the brand recognizable, despite the frequent change of the trademark.
What is Budweiser?
Budweiser is a North American lager brand introduced in 1876, owned by the Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC, and created by Carl Conrad & Co. American Budweiser should not be confused with the Czech brand of the same name. It differs not only in the country of production but also in composition: in addition to barley malt and hops, this US beer contains up to 30% rice.
1876 - 1942
The debut logo resembles an informational label or a handout. It contains many inscriptions and small details that are visually attractive. But the text is hard to read because it was done by hand. The central part stands out best of all – an elongated oval in a diamond with three letters “C” in red. Below is a rectangular business card with basic information about the manufacturer. It is framed with a floral pattern.
1910 – 1945
The brand has a new business card, not an independent logo. It contains a maximum of information about the product and its manufacturer. The text, as before, is italic, handwritten, coherent, placed on a light background. Unlike the previous version, it does not have a frame, but only curly corners on the right and left at the bottom. There are also block letters: “Genuine” and “King of Beers,” which balance the text. Above it, there is a graphic part: a tape with sharp ends, a circle in the middle, ears, leaves, wreaths, and the abbreviation “AB” (from the name “Anheuser-Busch”). The background is colored red.
1945 – 1987
The designers expanded the rectangle and positioned it vertically instead of horizontally to make it look less like a business card. They added information about the product and the place of its manufacture to the text part. In some places, the developers have changed the typeface, so now it is in five flavors. The authors left the upper zone elements the same, making them more compact and visually clearer, thanks to which the corporate round sign with ornaments and the abbreviation “AB” in the center stands out clearly.
1952 – 1957
In 1952, Budweiser adopted a triangle-shaped logo with rounded edges and a wide black outline. Inside was the brand name and the motto “King of Beers.” They were complemented by the Anheuser-Busch brand symbol: an eagle in the letter “A.” The background color is red with a white gradient.
1957 – 1961
For eleven years, the company has used rectangular emblems with a black frame. In the 1957 version, the figure first appeared in two inverted triangles connected in the form of a bow tie.
1961 – 1963
The bow tie logo shape is also present on the 1961 trademark, but this time the designers removed the “King of Beers” slogan and decorated the background with five-pointed ellipses.
1963 – 1968
In the 1963 version of the emblem, the design is completely different. There is no famous “butterfly” – there is only the word “Budweiser.” Each letter has a different color. The palette includes red, blue, and green.
1968 – 1987
In 1968, the trademark made its trademark two inverted red triangles found on the logos of previous years. At the same time, attention was focused on the name of the beer brand. A small change took place in 1987: the geometric figure’s shape was changed, and the font became italic.
1987 – 1994
This version is a stylization of the 1957 logo. The designers removed all unnecessary details to make the logo as simple as possible. It shows only a red geometric figure in two connected triangles and a white inscription on it—printed letters, lowercase, with a slight slant. On the right side, there is a shadow in the form of a thin black stripe placed with a bevel, which makes the logo three-dimensional.
1994 – 1999
The developers reduced the slope of the logo and the word “Budweiser,” removed the shadow, extended the letters, and added the phrase “Biere Beer.” The geometric shape remains the same.
1996 – 1999
The emblem depicts a multi-structured figure of an elongated shape, located horizontally. The brand name is written on it in white. Below is the phrase “Classic American Lager.” Above – a corporate sign in the form of a circle with an ornament and a talisman. The emblem also features several multi-colored lines and a 3D effect.
1999 – 2011
The management approved a butterfly-shaped emblem with an italic text beyond the boundaries of the geometric figure. A double thin line runs along the sign edges, and above it is a five-pointed crown. The main background color is red with a gradient transition to black (in the corners).
2011 – 2016
The logo received a small spread on the plane, a pastel palette, and an additional edging line. Also, a shadow appeared on the right, making the emblem three-dimensional again.
2016 – today
Now the most laconic version is in use. It consists only of an oblique geometric butterfly shape and the word “Budweiser.”
Font and Colors
The logo changed in leaps and bounds: for several years in a row, it was rectangular, then of complex configuration, then in a butterfly’s shape. At first, it was necessarily present with the Anheuser-Busch brewery’s distinctive sign – a round badge with a multi-structured ornament and the abbreviation “AB.” After the rebranding, the parent company’s abbreviated name disappeared – only the name of the type of beer remained, which became branding. The emblem gradually transformed from complex to simple and simplified to a red butterfly with white italic lettering.
Michael Hagemann specially designed the lettering style for Budweiser. He took the Brewmaster typeface as a basis. The word turned out to be handwritten, coherent, and slightly slanted. At various times, the beer brand also used a chopped font in its logo. The range of colors is standard. Now it consists of red and white, earlier it also included gold, blue, black.
Budweiser color codes
Philippine Red | Hex color: | #c8102e |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 200 16 46 | |
CMYK: | 2 100 85 6 | |
Pantone: | PMS 186 C |
What does the Budweiser symbol mean?
Bottles and cans of Budweiser bear the seal of Anheuser-Busch, which owns the brand. Spikelets of barley and wheat traditionally surround this element. Together they signify the ancient tradition of brewing. The inscription King of Beers is a twist on the phrase The Beer of Kings, historically referring to the beer from Budweis. And the two eagles are a tribute to American patriotism.
What shape is the Budweiser logo?
The base of the Budweiser logo has the shape of a disproportionate bow tie. The figure consists of two asymmetrical triangles that are connected by their sharp sides.
Is the Budweiser logo a bowtie?
The Budweiser logo does resemble a bow tie in shape. It is the distinctive feature of the brand, its main marketing ploy. The first version of the symbol appeared in the late 1950s. Although the general outlines of the geometric figure were changed with time, the concept itself has not changed.
Why did Budweiser change its logo?
Budweiser’s logo was simplified to fit modern minimalism. The designers’ goal was to make the trademark cleaner, clearer, and more legible.
When did Budweiser change their logo?
The beer brand Budweiser changed its logo several times. This happened in 1910, 1945, 1952, 1957, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1987, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2011 and 2016.