The Labello logo exudes professionalism. Leading experts in cosmetology and biochemistry are working to create ideal lip care products. As a result, the emblem looks smooth and soft, like fabric treated with balms.
Labello was launched in 1909, two years before Nivea, though Beiersdorf developed both. The product preceded its better-known relative and established the company’s position in lip care. Oskar Troplowitz developed the formula in 1907. He combined a protective balm with a new delivery format, replacing jars and paper sticks with a sliding metal tube.
From its 1909 launch in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria-Hungary, Labello used a tin case with a push mechanism. The format later influenced lipstick packaging across the cosmetics industry. World War I disrupted production. Metal shortages forced Beiersdorf to sell refill sticks without cases. Consumers reused old tubes, revealing early acceptance of refill concepts.
In the 1920s, aluminum replaced tin, and tinted versions appeared. By the 1930s, Labello was sold in more than 30 countries alongside Nivea, covering different retail segments. World War II again limited materials. In 1953, plastic packaging replaced metal. During the 1960s, the rotating stick mechanism was introduced and became an industry standard.
In 1973, Labello Classic launched in a blue plastic case. In 1978, Labello Med targeted damaged lips; in 1979, Labello Sun added UV protection. The 1980s saw extensions such as Camomile (1984) and Sport (1989). In 1992, Lip Balance introduced tube packaging. In 2001, Pearl & Shine entered the decorative lip market. Compared with Carmex, Labello expanded across both medical and cosmetic segments. Annual output exceeds 160 million sticks.
Meaning and History
Labello produces hygienic lipsticks with various additives that affect their color, fragrance, and care qualities. The assortment includes balms and sticks for moisturizing, nutrition, treatment, and sun protection. This is because Beiersdorf AG, which manufactures these products, believes beauty cannot exist without health. Even the trademark’s name hints at the brand concept, combining two words: “la” from “labium” (“lip”) and “bell” from “bellus” (“beautiful”). The final “o” creates a harmonic sound and supports French pronunciation.
The Latin-rooted name Labell inspired the designers of this brand’s logo. In total, the designers created three almost identical wordmarks. The first and third differ only in the shape of the initial letter “L.”
What is Labello?
Labello is the brand name of the German company Beiersdorf AG for its lip balm stick. It was first introduced in 1909, reflecting its rich heritage. The product line includes lip care products and glosses designed for cosmetic purposes.
1922 – 1952
The trademark name inspired the logo. This is the key element. In this case, the word “labello” is a compound derived from two Latin stems: “lip” (labium) and “beautiful” (bellus). Symbology developers are designers from Juliasys Studio.
The Labello brand’s personal identification mark is its name. It has always appeared on the logo and represents a minimalist spelling. There are no serifs or curly elements in it – just a single word. Almost all letters are streamlined and rounded, except the two lowercase “ll.” They look like hygienic lipstick tubes – elongated, wide, rectangular. The first “L” differs from them because it is capitalized.
The Berlin studio Juliasys developed a custom typeface for the Labello trademark. To create it, she used the Universalschrift font by Bauhaus teacher Herbert Bayer. The logo’s color scheme depends on the background. If the label is light, the letters are dark blue; if dark, they are white.
1952 – 1963
In 1952, the inscription became white and was inside a dark blue horizontal rectangle. The designers played with the double “ll”; interestingly, they stylized them under the lips. They curved the first “l” into an open parenthesis and made the second letter sinuous, adding a central depression. The font remained the same: bold geometric grotesque with rounded glyphs.
1963 – today
In the early 1960s, the logo’s authors slightly revised it to make the inscription more readable. To do this, they reflected the colors, so the brand name is now dark blue, while the background is light. The letter spacing is slightly wider. Again, the two lowercase “l” s look standard, like vertically elongated rectangles. The capital “L” at the very beginning has an updated look: its horizontal stroke is noticeably longer in the current version. Moreover, the inner side of the fold is a right angle.
Font and Colors
As the Labello logo has evolved, its font has changed very little. The bold sans serif is still used today, mixing mid-20th-century typographic sans-serifs with Universalschrift-style glyphs. Austrian graphic designer Herbert Bayer designed the latter. Based on the wordmark, Juliasys created a typeface called Labello. Juliasys developed it in collaboration with the Beiersdorf Brand Management team.
The color scheme also remains stable, combining white and dark blue. But if the white inscription was on a blue background earlier, it is now on a white background. This change improves text readability.






