San Pellegrino logo history: Bubbles, mountains, and Italian charm
If you’re a fan of delicious, high-quality beverages, you may be familiar with the San Pellegrino logo. The Italian mineral water brand, owned by the larger Sanpellegrino company, belongs to the Nestle conglomeration and has a presence worldwide.
But how much do you know about San Pellegrino logo history?
While most people are familiar with the iconic red star and bold wordmark of the current San Pellegrino emblem, the company’s visual presence has changed over the years.
However, unlike most businesses with decades of history, S. Pellegrino has only made basic changes to their brand identity in the last century.
You’re in the right place if you’ve ever wondered where San Pellegrino’s iconic star logo came from or how the organization’s presence has evolved over the years.
Today, we will examine the San Pellegrino company and its visual transformation.
Who owns San Pellegrino? An introduction
Before we start our adventure into San Pellegrino logo history, let’s introduce the brand.
S. Pellegrino, otherwise known as San Pellegrino, is an Italian mineral water brand owned by Sanpellegrino S.p.A[RJ1] , which currently operates as part of the Nestle conglomerate. The name of the company is a reflection of its origins.
The principal production plant for San Pellegrino is based in the region of San Pellegrino Terme, Italy.
Although San Pellegrino is officially an Italian brand, it has a strong presence all over the globe. Many of the organization’s products are exported throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and even across Asia.
Originally, Sanpellegrino S.p.A was founded in 1899 and was launched with the name Societa Anonima Delle Terme. In 1997, the company was purchased by Perrier Vittel SA, one of the divisions of Nestle, which also owned the Vittel and Perrier water brands.
The company primarily sells sparkling mineral water but has also produced a range of flavored beverages over the years.
Although San Pellegrino is a little over 100 years old as a company, the S. Pellegrino mineral water has been produced for more than 600 years. In fact, analysis shows the water from the San Pellegrino production plant today is strikingly similar to that obtained in the 1700s.
What does S. Pellegrino stand for?
S. Pellegrino stands for “San Pellegrino”, or “Sanpellegrino”. The name is used by one of the world’s most famous sparkling water brands. However, it also comes from a specific region in Italy, where luxury mineral water is bottled and produced from local springs.
San Pellegrino mineral water is produced in San Pellegrino Terme, where water is mineralized through contact with volcanic rocks and limestone.
San Pellegrino logo history: The iconic emblem
As mentioned above, while the San Pellegrino company has existed for more than 100 years at this point, it has only made very slight changes to its visual identity. Since the first logo for the brand was created in the 1800s, the San Pellegrino team has always used a five-pointed star in its emblem.
The original San Pellegrino logo introduced in 1899 featured a bright red, five-pointed star with a double border in white and red. The star featured a banner towards the top of the emblem, in black, in which the name of the company was inscribed in a decorated serif font.
The simplistic but eye-catching logo aimed to present San Pellegrino as a company focused on excellence. The red coloring conveys passion and confidence, while the black and white banner ensures the design is easy to read from a distance.
The first major change made in San Pellegrino logo history emerged in 2003 when the company made the only significant alteration to its logo to date. The company retained the eye-catching five-pointed star, still depicted in a bright shade of red. The shape also maintained its double-line border.
However, the star and the wordmark for the company were separated in this logo. The star is placed on the top of a larger, bold wordmark. The inscription reads “S. Pellegrino,” in all capital letters, with slight serifs, and a blue and white outline, giving the design an almost 3-dimensional effect.
The San Pellegrino logo: Colors and fonts
The minimal changes to the San Pellegrino logo made over the years demonstrate the company’s commitment to creating a consistent and eye-catching brand identity.
Since its inception, the organization has consistently used the five-pointed star as the most recognizable element in its logo. This shape has always been depicted in a shade of bright red, although the exact color has been altered over the years, becoming a little warmer.
Today, the San Pellegrino logo is a symbol of excellence, passion, and sophistication.
You can find some useful resources if you want to take a closer look at the S. Pellegrino logo here:
What color is the S. Pellegrino logo?
The S. Pellegrino logo colors have changed slightly over the years as the company has refined its brand image. Originally, the emblem included a combination of bright red, white, and black as its core colors.
However, San Pellegrino updated its emblem to include a dark shade of blue for the wordmark. The color blue makes us think of water, as well as concepts like reliability and trust.
The combination of bright colors with white accents reminds us of passion and purity. They also offer fantastic contrast, allowing the San Pellegrino to stand out in any environment. The main components of the S. Pellegrino color palette include:
Pigment Red
Hex color: #eb2228
RGB: 235 34 40
CMYK: 0 86 83 8
Pantone: PMS Bright Red C
Cool Black
Hex color: #012d5e
RGB: 1 45 94
CMYK: 99 52 0 63
Pantone: PMS 648 C
What font does the S. Pellegrino logo use?
Although San Pellegrino sometimes uses its five-pointed star as the core component of its logo, a wordmark is usually included in most marketing assets. The lettering of the S. Pellegrino logo is unique to the brand and features simple serif-style characters with bold elements.
Often depicted in all uppercase letters, the S. Pellegrino logo font is similar in many ways to the vintage Quattrocento typeface, although it is a lot bolder. The small serifs help to highlight the sophistication and professionalism of the brand.
Why does San Pellegrino have a star on it?
Throughout San Pellegrino logo history, the company has consistently used the same five-point star emblem as part of its visual identity. When San Pellegrino was first created, it was commonplace for Italian companies to create relatively simplistic, minimalistic logos.
The S. Pellegrino star aims to tell customers straight away that they’re going to get a high-quality product, as stars are typically associated with excellence. The use of the color red helps to symbolize confidence, passion, and power.
Who designed the San Pellegrino logo?
The San Pellegrino logo was designed by an American graphics expert named Steven Haulenbeek. The straightforward but compelling emblem hasn’t changed much, allowing S. Pellegrino to create a highly professional and consistent visual identity.
Fabrik: A branding agency for our times.
As Fabrik’s creative director, Stephen oversees complex branding programmes. He advises our clients on their tone of voice, creates logos and visual identities and crafts names for companies, products and services. Writing for Brand Fabrik Stephen reflects his love for logo design and visual identity.
