The Peroni logo is one of those marks that immediately tells you something about where a beer comes from. Before you even read the label, the colors and the gold frame pull you toward Italy. Founded in 1846 by Francesco Peroni in Vigevano, Lombardy, the brewery moved to Rome in 1864 and has since been through ownership changes, design refreshes and a global expansion. The logo on bottles today looks nothing like the one from the 1900s. And that’s the point. It grew up alongside the company.
Birra Peroni has belonged to Asahi Group Holdings since 2016, when Asahi bought it from SABMiller. There are really two Peroni identities to know about. The Italian “Birra Peroni” lager carries a red-and-gold logo that the museum of Italian trademarks traces back to a 1901 letterhead, and Milan agency Smith Lumen restyled it for the brand’s 175th anniversary. The export beer, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, has its own blue-ribbon identity, last overhauled in 2018 with work credited to Nude Brand Creation.
What Is the Peroni Logo?
The Peroni logo is a red-and-gold mark: the name “Peroni” in custom capital lettering inside a gold-outlined frame, with the 1846 founding date and Rome references. Its basic form dates to the mid-1960s, and Milan agency Smith Lumen restyled it for the brand’s 175th anniversary. No individual designer has been publicly credited.
| Symbol | “Peroni” wordmark in a gold-outlined frame on red, with the 1846 date; Nastro Azzurro adds a crest and blue ribbon |
| Designer/agency | Smith Lumen, Milan (Birra Peroni restyling); Nude Brand Creation (2018 Nastro Azzurro identity); no individual designer credited |
| Current version since | 175th-anniversary restyling (2021 anniversary, covered by design press in 2024) |
| Colors (hex) | Deep red approx. #9E2729, gold approx. #DBB875, white #FFFFFF (sampled from the current logo); Nastro Azzurro blue approx. #002374 |
| Typeface | Custom lettering, not a retail font; the 1960s version used capital Helvetica, so a bold Helvetica-style sans is the closest match |
| Previous major version | 1985 elongated “biscuit” shape with stick lettering, lightly restyled in 2013 with the founder’s signature |
The trademarks belong to Birra Peroni S.r.l., part of Asahi. The marks appear on bottles, cans, draught taps, glassware, bar signage and advertising worldwide, with Nastro Azzurro doing most of the work outside Italy and the red Birra Peroni label dominating at home. Both rely on packaging design as much as the logo itself.
How Has the Peroni Logo Evolved Over Time?
The Peroni logo has changed many times since the brewery’s founding in 1846. The best documented timeline comes from Italy’s Museo del Marchio Italiano, which follows the mark from a 1901 letterhead to the current restyling. The path runs from ornate star-and-medal compositions to today’s stripped-back, confident wordmark.
The Original Peroni Emblem (1901–1900s)
Francesco Peroni started out in Vigevano producing carbonated water and beer. After the move to Rome in 1864, a larger factory near Porta Pia let the company grow. Branding back then looked nothing like what we’d recognize today.
The earliest known mark appeared on a letterhead from 1901. It featured a six-pointed star with a beer mug at the center and the words “Peroni Roma,” surrounded by medals and awards, which was typical for the era. In 1906 the logo was separated from the letterhead composition and started living on its own.
There were no strict graphic rules. The color palette depended on the material, and variations popped up everywhere. But the Rome connection was already central.
The Eagle Shield Era (1910–1940s)
Around 1910 a heraldic coat of arms with an eagle appeared inside a white and blue circle. By the 1930s the logo grew more structured: a thick frame contained the words “Birra Peroni Roma” alongside the eagle shield.
Some versions on enamel plates added a crown, a reference to Peroni’s role as a supplier to the Italian Royal House. Several versions coexisted at the same time.
The Red Cap and Gothic Lettering (1944–1950s)
Production restarted in 1944, after the war, and the red and gold cap became the company’s symbol. In the 1950s the logotype used Gothic characters, borrowed from traditional German beer labels. That was a common choice across European breweries at the time, a way of borrowing credibility from Germany’s brewing reputation.
At the turn of the 1960s, the “blonde Peroni” (“la bionda Peroni”) was promoted through Carosello TV spots, billboards and press campaigns. Those campaigns made the brand a household name in Italy.
The Red and Gold Hexagon Logo (Mid-1960s–1985)
This is where the modern Peroni logo really begins. In the mid-1960s, a red and gold rounded square framed a white hexagon with “Birra Peroni” in capital Helvetica, plus a laurel wreath with the foundation date. The hexagon stretched depending on where it was used.
Meanwhile, in 1963, Peroni launched Nastro Azzurro as its premium lager. The name means “Blue Ribbon” and honors the Blue Riband won by the Italian ocean liner SS Rex in 1933 for the fastest Atlantic crossing. Its white-and-blue pack was unusual for European beer at the time, and in 1974 art director Armando Testa created an ad image of a blonde model wrapped in a blue ribbon. The ribbon became one of the brand’s key design elements.
The “Biscuit” Logo (1985–2013)
In 1985 a stylized, elongated “biscuit” shape with stick (sans-serif) lettering replaced the hexagon design. On the beer label, a laurel and a mug replaced the old six-pointed star.
Ownership changed underneath it. SABMiller bought Birra Peroni in 2003, and Nastro Azzurro’s global launch followed in 2005, starting with a single bottle in a shop window on London’s Sloane Street.
The 2013 Restyling and the 2018 Nastro Azzurro Overhaul
In 2013 the Birra Peroni logo got a minor restyling, mostly of the lettering. The founder’s signature and an illustration of him appeared above the logotype.
Nastro Azzurro got its own overhaul in 2018, its first makeover since 2005 according to UK trade press. Asahi UK introduced a revamped logo, a waisted 330ml bottle, new glassware, an engraved signature of Giovanni Peroni and a “Birra Peroni Barrel” stamp on the neck. The identity and packaging work is credited to Nude Brand Creation. The wordmark drew on historical logos, including the 1963 Nastro Azzurro original, and the crest brought back the Rome provenance and the 1846 date.
The Smith Lumen Restyling (175th Anniversary–Present)
For the brand’s 175th anniversary, Milan agency Smith Lumen restyled the whole Birra Peroni visual identity. The Dieline covered the result in April 2024.
According to the agency, the logo’s colors were inverted, the brand flag was simplified and the logotype was redrawn. The logo no longer floats above the label; it is now the label. The museum of Italian trademarks adds that the brand kept its original font and red color, while the frame lost its background fill and kept only a gold outline. The Dieline describes the new typography as closer to a mid-century Italian liquor poster than to Helvetica.
The label kept its earlier shape, but the extra references to the past were cleared away. The goal was clearly longevity over trendiness.
What Do the Design Elements of the Peroni Logo Mean?
Every part of the Peroni identity connects back to the brewery’s Italian roots, its Roman base and its premium positioning abroad. The frame, colors and letterforms all serve a purpose.
The 1846 date anchors the brand’s age. “Roma” ties it to the city where it has brewed since 1864. On Nastro Azzurro, the crest and Giovanni Peroni’s engraved signature push the family story.
What Are the Peroni Logo Colors?
Peroni hasn’t published official color codes, so the values below are approximations sampled from the current logos. Use them as references, not specs.
Deep red (approx. #9E2729): The main color of the Birra Peroni logo. Red signals energy and links naturally to Italian food culture. The restyling kept the red and made it the field for the white lettering. The psychology behind these color choices is simple: warm, confident, familiar.
Gold (approx. #DBB875): The outline of the frame. Gold communicates quality and a higher price point, and it goes back to the red and gold cap of the 1940s.
White (#FFFFFF): Lettering and background. It provides contrast and keeps the name readable at small sizes.
Nastro Azzurro blue (approx. #002374): The blue of the ribbon on the export beer. “Nastro Azzurro” literally means “Blue Ribbon,” which ties the color to the SS Rex story.
Screen values in RGB and print values in CMYK for Peroni that circulate online are conversions of estimates like these. Color-reference sites don’t agree with each other, which is a good sign that none of them is official.
What Font Is Used in the Peroni Logo?
Peroni uses custom lettering. It’s not pulled from any public font library, and you can’t download it.
There is a clear lineage, though. The mid-1960s Birra Peroni logo set “Birra Peroni” in capital Helvetica, and the 1985 version used simple stick lettering, a plain sans-serif. Smith Lumen redrew the logotype for the anniversary restyling, giving it more weight and a mid-century poster feel. If you need something close, a bold Helvetica-style sans in capitals gets you in the neighborhood, and tight kerning helps.
Nastro Azzurro is a different story. Its wordmark, drawn for the 2018 overhaul, takes its cues from historical Peroni logos including the 1963 original, and its letterforms lean toward a classic serif font feel. It is also custom.
What Are the Hidden Meanings in the Peroni Logo?
The first logo hid one. According to the museum of Italian trademarks, the six-pointed star on the 1901 letterhead was used as an alchemical symbol, a nod to brewing as transformation, turning raw ingredients into something greater.
Nude’s 2018 Nastro Azzurro crest brought back an alchemy symbol inspired by the emblem on the earliest Peroni bottles, according to the agency’s project credit as reported in the design press.
The mid-1960s hexagon is another detail most people miss. It sat at the center of the Birra Peroni logo for two decades and still shapes how people picture a Peroni label.
How Does the Peroni Logo Compare to Competitor Logos?
Peroni sits in the premium European lager space alongside Heineken, Stella Artois, Carlsberg and Corona. Each brand takes a different visual approach, and the differences say a lot about positioning.
Heineken keeps things tight with its green and its red star. Clean, recognizable and consistent. But there’s nothing about the Heineken logo that screams “origin story.” It’s just efficient.
Stella Artois goes heavy on heritage with its horn and its 1366 date. The chalice imagery reinforces its premium self-image.
Peroni plays the Italian card harder than either. Rome. The founding date. The family signature. Even the ribbon tells an Italian story about an Italian ship.
Look at the broader landscape of beer logos and you’ll see a trend: established lagers are either stripping back, like Peroni’s anniversary restyling, or adding craft-style complexity. Peroni’s bet on simplicity with heritage depth is a clear move.
What Cultural Impact Has the Peroni Logo Had?
Outside Italy, the blue ribbon and the crest did most of the work. When Nastro Azzurro launched globally in 2005, starting in London, its styling helped reposition Italian beer from a pizzeria import to a premium choice. The elegant bottle, the crest, the blue ribbon, all of it communicated “this is not just another lager.”
In Italy the red Peroni logo plays a different role. Thanks to the Carosello era and the “Chiamami Peroni, sarò la tua birra” (“Call me Peroni, I’ll be your beer”) line from 1975, it reads as everyday and familiar rather than luxurious.
The House of Peroni, opened in London in 2013, used the brand as an anchor for style and design events. And Rome’s MACRO contemporary art museum occupies part of the former Peroni brewery, so the brand’s industrial past now houses a cultural institution.
How Does the Peroni Logo Fit Into the Overall Brand Identity?
The logo doesn’t work alone. It’s one piece of a system that includes the bottle shape, glassware, the Giovanni Peroni signature engraving, the Birra Peroni barrel stamp and specific approaches to print and advertising photography.
Peroni doesn’t publish its brand style guide, but the public materials are consistent. For Nastro Azzurro: the waisted bottle, the neck label, the crest, the blue ribbon. For Birra Peroni: red, gold and white, with the wordmark doing the talking.
Smith Lumen’s restyling made the red-label family tighter. By turning the logo into the label and removing extra historical references, every variant now shares the same look while staying distinct. The visual hierarchy is clearer. Your eye goes straight to the name.
That kind of flexibility across a whole range is what separates a good logo system from a rigid one.
How Should the Peroni Logo Be Used?
This is general advice, not Peroni’s own rulebook. The trademarks are owned by Birra Peroni S.r.l., part of Asahi, and commercial use without permission is infringement. That covers merchandise, event materials and promotional content.
Bars and retailers usually get approved logo files, glassware and point-of-sale materials through their distributor. Editorial use, such as illustrating an article about the brand, is generally treated differently from selling products with the logo on them.
If you need the mark for a layout, use a clean vector graphics file where possible rather than a low-resolution pixel image. Don’t recolor it, stretch it or crop the frame, and use the current version unless you’re writing about the history. Most brand guidelines say the same.
FAQ on the Peroni Logo
What Does the Peroni Logo Look Like?
The Birra Peroni logo is the name “Peroni” in custom capital lettering inside a gold-outlined frame on deep red, with the 1846 date. Peroni Nastro Azzurro uses a separate identity with a crest and a blue ribbon.
Who Designed the Current Peroni Logo?
Milan agency Smith Lumen restyled the Birra Peroni identity for the brand’s 175th anniversary. The 2018 Nastro Azzurro identity is credited to Nude Brand Creation. No individual designer has been publicly named.
When Was the Peroni Logo First Created?
The earliest known Peroni mark appeared on a 1901 letterhead: a six-pointed star with a beer mug and the words “Peroni Roma.” Francesco Peroni had founded the brewery in 1846.
What Did the Old Peroni Logo Look Like?
From the mid-1960s, a red and gold rounded square framed a white hexagon with “Birra Peroni” in capital Helvetica and a laurel wreath. In 1985 it became an elongated “biscuit” shape with plain sans-serif lettering.
What Font Does the Peroni Logo Use?
Peroni uses custom lettering, not a downloadable font. The 1960s logo used capital Helvetica, so a bold Helvetica-style sans is the closest match. The Nastro Azzurro wordmark is also custom, based on historical Peroni logos.
What Are the Peroni Logo Colors?
Deep red (approx. #9E2729), gold (approx. #DBB875) and white for Birra Peroni, plus a deep blue (approx. #002374) for Nastro Azzurro. Peroni hasn’t published official codes, so these are sampled values.
What Is the Blue Ribbon on Peroni Nastro Azzurro?
“Nastro Azzurro” means Blue Ribbon in Italian. It honors the SS Rex, the Italian ocean liner that won the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing in 1933. The beer launched in 1963.
What Is the Symbol at the Center of the Peroni Crest?
On Nastro Azzurro it’s an alchemy symbol inspired by the emblem on the earliest Peroni bottles, reintroduced in the 2018 redesign. The 1901 six-pointed star was also used as an alchemical symbol.
Who Owns Peroni?
Birra Peroni has been owned by Asahi Group Holdings since 2016. SABMiller owned it from 2003 and sold it to Asahi as part of AB InBev’s takeover of SABMiller.
Is the Peroni Logo Trademarked?
Yes. The logos are registered trademarks of Birra Peroni S.r.l., part of Asahi. Commercial use without permission is infringement, while editorial use is generally treated differently.
Conclusion
The Peroni logo has tracked more than a century of Italian brewing history, from a star on a 1901 letterhead to a gold-framed wordmark built for modern shelves. Each redesign reflected something real, whether it was a shift in ownership, a new competitor or a changing customer.
What makes it stick is the commitment to provenance. The 1846 date, the Roman base, Giovanni Peroni’s signature. These aren’t decorative. They’re strategic.
Smith Lumen’s restyling bets on premium beer branding through restraint rather than ornamentation, while Nastro Azzurro keeps the blue ribbon alive abroad.
The direction is clear. Fewer elements, stronger presence, deeper roots.
Sources
- Museo del Marchio Italiano, Birra Peroni – https://museodelmarchioitaliano.it/en/birra-peroni
- Smith Lumen, Peroni restyling – https://www.smithlumen.com/project/peroni-restyling/
- The Dieline, The Iconic Italian Beer Peroni Gets a Classy New Look from Smith Lumen – https://thedieline.com/the-iconic-italian-beer-peroni-gets-a-classy-new-look-from-smith-lumen/
- The Grocer, Peroni Nastro Azzurro gets first makeover in 13 years – https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/alcohol/peroni-nastro-azzurro-gets-first-makeover-in-13-years/570069.article
- Google Arts & Culture, 1963-2023: 60 years of Peroni Nastro Azzurro – https://artsandculture.google.com/story/aAVhrGYEWSqKaw
- Wikipedia, Peroni Brewery – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peroni_Brewery
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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