World-renowned Mercedes-Benz logo now 100 years old.
On this day 100 years ago, the now-famous Mercedes-Benz symbol of the star-in-ring was sent into the patent office to be registered as a trademark. At the time, the trademark was registered by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG). From 1926, DMG and Benz & Cie merged to form Daimler-Benz AG – and the logo evolved to include a laurel wreath.
Birth of the Star
The three-pointed star as part of the company’s logo has its roots in a deeply personal family anecdote. Gottlieb Daimler had added a star to a postcard showing their family home. This story was shared by his sons, Paul and Adolf Daimler and later DMG decided to use it. Adolf Daimler himself designed a three-dimensional star to symbolise the Gottlieb’s vision of motorisation on land, on water and in the air.
This original 3-pointed star was submitted to the patent office for trademark protection back in 1909 and in 1911, the 3-pointed star became a registered trademark. They also designed a four-pointed star logo, but this was only used much later on by the unrelated Deustch Aerospace AG.
Coincidentally, Benz & Cie, had also registered their laurel wreath logo in 1909, before the two companies merged. The two companies also independently invented automobiles with internal combustion engines in 1886.
In May 1924, the two oldest car manufacturers merged and in February 1925, graphic artists finally merged their two signets with the registered word marks “Mercedes-Benz”.
A 5-metre wide Mercedes star can currently be seen free of charge in front of the Mercedes-Benz Museum. It was the star of Stuttgart’s station tower, which is temporarily on loan while the station building is being rebuilt and renovated. From 2025 onwards, this landmark of Baden-Württemberg’s state capital will once again be returned to its original place.
To celebrate this important milestone for the company, Mercedes-Benz social media channels will be hosting a marketing campaign.
The spot explains the evolution of the Mercedes-Benz trademark and reaffirms its charisma. With a specially developed design language consisting of technical drawings as well as brand and product elements, Mercedes-Benz makes reference to a selection of past marketing activities. The format shows contemporary versatility and modern luxury: everything that the brand with the star stands for. Mercedes-Benz strives to inspire customers and meet their needs with a range of exceptional products and services. Sustainable, individual mobility is at the core of the company’s corporate strategy.
