Famous Logo Design History: Carlsberg

In our famous logo design history section we've had some sports logos, then some food logos and now seems to be the time for a sip of famous beer. Established in 1847 by J.C. Jacobsen, Carlsberg brewery pioneered refrigeration techniques, steam brewing and the propagation of one single yeast strain, and it is recognized today as probably the best beer in the world.

Carl Jacobsen, a philanthropist and art collector, carried on his father's passion for beer making and studied brewing both in Denmark and abroad. He established his own brewery but also was involved in scientific research in beer making through its Carlsberg Laboratory. He demanded quality above all and his innovations in the art of making beer laid the cornerstone of the modern brewing industry. Carlsberg company has become famous worldwide, and today, more than three-quarters of the brewery's sales are coming from outside Denmark.

Looking back to the original Carlsberg logo, it included the swastika and an image of an elephant, but was dropped in the 1930's because of the undesired association with the German political parties. The famous art nouveau Carlsberg logo was introduced in 1904 and was designed by Thorvald Bindesbøll, an architect by training, but known as the first Denmark industrial designer. The hand drawn Carlsberg logo has stood the test of time and remained almost unchanged until today.

In 1975 Carlsberg introduced the famous slogan "Probably the best lager in the world", with the voice-over by Orson Welles.

More than 100 years later after its launch, the classic Carlsberg logo received a design prize offered by the Danish Design Center, a first in the history of design.