Stella Artois Logo

Stella Artois Logo PNG

The Stella Artois logo creates a cheerful and incendiary atmosphere around itself. Symbols show: the drink is suitable for holidays, parades, and tournaments. The emblem alludes to white foam in tall glasses and the bright taste of beer made from natural ingredients.

Meaning and History

The roots of this enterprise go deep into history – in 1366, when a tavern operated in the city of Leuven, brewing its alcoholic drink for hunters. Her debut logo featured a hunting horn, which the owners used to mark their products. Back in those days, the brewery was called Den Hoorn.

In 1717 the factory was bought by Sebastien Artois, who had been the head brewer there since 1708. He called him by his surname. At that time, the company was known as Brouwerij Artois. In 1926, the manufacturer first produced Christmas beer, timed to coincide with the winter holiday, and named after the Christmas star. In 1930, deliveries of products to the European market began.

In 1988 artist David Taylor of Taylorbrands redesigned the label, packaging, and bottle design. He connected the historical past of the brewing brand with its present, depicting a hunting horn. He also indicated the opening date of the Den Hoorn brewery, which served as the basis for Stella Artois. The new design also contains architectural elements specific to the city of Leuven.

What is Stella Artois?

Stella Artois is the beer’s name and the company that produces it. The main plant is located in Belgium. This drink was first brewed in 1366 when the brewery was named Den Hoorn and was combined with a tavern where beer was served to hunters. Under the modern brand, it appeared in 1926. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV owns the Belgian brand through its subsidiary Interbrew International B.V.

1366 – 1717

In the first years, when the brewery was combined with a tavern, its main distinguishing feature was a hunting horn. This is because she served an alcoholic drink to the hunters, which was reflected in the name Den Hoorn. Translated from Dutch, it means this particular instrument. The emblem of that time also contained the inscriptions “Van Roy” (above) and “Brouweru” (to the left of the horn). The text was typed in a grotesque style, and the horn was placed in a regular rhombus.

1717 – 1926

After the rebranding, the company became known as Brouwerij Artois. A single star lit up above the hunting horn, which denoted the main winter holiday – Christmas. Nearby was the name of the company’s new owner – Sebastien Artois. The letters were thinner, sleeker, and received miniature serifs in this version.

1926 – 1962

A laconic logo containing only the brewery’s name belongs to that time. The inscription was black, sans-serif, and made in an elongated type with thickened letters in lower case (the initial characters in each word remained in capital letters). The first part of the name was in quotation marks because it was used not in its direct meaning but as a symbolic one (as a nickname).

1962 – 1973

In 1962, the labeling of Stella Artois beer changed dramatically – it received a genuine label, developed according to all design rules. The emblem depicted a square with a light brown border. Inside it was a wide white frame, behind which was another dark brown one, which served as a frame for the central red square. It contained the name of the company. The letters were white, with a black outline around the edge. Above the inscription was a pointed star in a circle, reminiscent of the bearing of a compass. She had a single “A” in the middle. The logo also featured the year the brewery was founded, the type of beer, and other production information.

1973 – 1975

In the simplified version, the theme of the Christmas star became predominant. Therefore, the designers enlarged the part in the circle, transforming it into an oval with a stylized “A,” which had a bright star instead of a crossbar. The main color palette was a combination of red (basic elements), black (frame), and white (background).

1975 – 1977

This version used an emblem of a very complex structure. The sign was multi-component and included three wide semi-oval stripes separated by thin black lines and supplemented with information of a different nature. A red background occupied the central place with the name of the beer brand, which was painted white for contrast. The inscription was in the upper case and was grotesque. Below it was the year the company was opened, and above it was a small icon depicting the previous logo.

1977 – 1985

For several years, the emblem was again minimalist. It was based on the name, divided into two parts, and painted white with a slight shading on the right side. At the top was the word “Stella” below – “Artois.” In the center of the red square was placed a black ring, which had the shape of an oval. Its middle was empty, just white.

1985 – 1988

This logo was a simplified version of 1975-1977. The number of edging stripes has been reduced to one wide and two thin. The designers removed the text from them, retaining only the name, which was located in the center. The oval now has a light brown background square.

1988 – 2022

This iconic logo was created at Taylorbrands by graphic artist David Taylor. He thoroughly worked on the brewery’s visual identity, presenting a label connected both with the history and activities of the enterprise. The developer kept the red background with the title in the center but regrouped everything else by adding new elements. Curly lines and curls appeared around the text, outwardly similar to hop stalks. However, this is stucco, characteristic of the architecture of the buildings of the city of Leuven, where the brewery was opened.

At the top, the author placed a hunting horn, reminiscent of the fact that it all started with a tavern, where beer was served to hunters and for whom it was made. Around the cone, ears of barley, wheat, and hop cones are visible. Above them, the archway is the year of the brand’s creation – “Anno 1366”. And between the word and the date is a miniature star. Under the company’s name, the artist depicted three medals awarded to outstanding beer.

2016 – 2023

The modern logo lacks a red and gold palette, as red is chosen as the main color. The designers removed the lower elements and simplified the upper ones, leaving only two ears, one hop leaf, and one cone. They returned the shape of the 1973-1975 years to the star, and the black outline was removed from the letters and the side curls.

2023 – today

The Pilsner Stella Artois has adopted a new visual identity to reach younger consumers. It has moved away from a high-flown design to achieve this, choosing a more alternative layout. The company has retained the historical characteristics of the emblem, focusing on the details and reducing their number. Numerous subtle color nuances have disappeared, and the number of beer “ingredients” in the design has decreased, replaced by a richer palette. Essentially, the manufacturer has returned to the symbolism of 1988, but in an enhanced form.

Now, next to the horn, a hop stem with one cone and one triple leaf remains. The barley spikes have been replaced by two simple leaves, significantly simplifying the visual perception of the logo. The classic style is conveyed in the patterns on the sides, in numerous vine curls, in the traditional horn, in the red star with eight rays, and the characteristic trapezoidal shape. Numerous shadows and highlights have been added, bringing life to the two-dimensional drawing. The year of the brewery’s foundation is written again in black font, and a golden color has harmoniously blended into the primary palette.

Font and Colors

The modernization of the Stella Artois logo is an alternation between simple and complex designs. They were used every other time: a minimalist sign prevailed; in another, a multi-structural one. The main emphasis of recent times has been placed on the company’s historical roots when it bore the name Den Hoorn and brewed beer for hunters. The Christmas star also plays an important role in the identity because the brand is named after it.

In modern logo versions, the Friz Quadrata typeface is used – a bold sans serif with elegant and almost invisible serifs. The corporate palette consists of red, gold, and white. Black is used as the delimiting color.

Stella Artois color codes