People are still surprised by the story behind the unusual design.
(Image credit: Bacardi)
Bacardi is one of the world's best-known brands of rum. We see it so often that few stop to analyse the branding until one day they suddenly ask the inevitable question, 'hold on, why is there is there a bat in the Bacardi logo?'.
The question is still coming up on Twitter today, so we thought we would elucidate. For a brand so keen on flagging up its Cuban roots, what does a bat have to do with anything? Well, no it has nothing to do with Batman. The Bacardi logo dates back over 150 years, all the way to the company's early days in the 1860s (see our tips for how to design a logo if you want to make a design that can live that long).
The Bacardi logo used in the 1890s was so cool pic.twitter.com/afCCT1hbtiJuly 27, 2022
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Based in Bermuda, Bacardi Limited now owns 200 brands and labels, including Bombay Sapphire, Martini & Rossi and Grey Goose, But the company logo, and the logo that appears on its signature line of rum, is still based on an original design from 1862.
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The Bacardi logo has evolved since then, sometimes going in the opposite direction to design trends. It became flatter and simpler in the 1950s only to add back more detail in the latest rebranding in 2013. But why such a gothic look?
#DoYouKnow #Bacardi 132 Years Old Liquor CompanyWhile fermentation of molasses , a colony of fruit bats is attracted by the smell & make distillery their home.Since Then Bacardy has Bats as part of Its Logo Every Bacardi office has a palm tree as a symbol of good luck pic.twitter.com/Mt93peT52NMarch 24, 2023
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Well, the story goes that Don Facundo Bacardí Massó's original distillery in Santiago de Cuba, from where he established Bacardi in February of 1862, housed a small colony of fruit bats that would hang from the rafters, attracted by the sweet smell of sugarcane and liquor.
Since the island's native Taíno people saw bats as symbols of good health, family unity, and good fortune, Bacardí Massó's wife suggested turning what some could see as a hygiene hazard into a logo, which led to their drink becoming known locally as 'el ron del murciélago' (the rum with the bat). The motif was so unique and recognisable that it continues to work today.
Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.
