Jägermeister’s Logo Design Is Not Religiously Offensive, Court Insists
Image via Darios / Shutterstock.com
If you bring a bottle of Jägermeister over to a house party hosted by a Christian or Catholic, it’s not going to offend them. This is according to a recent ruling by a Swiss court that refuted a complaint about the spirit’s logo possibly displeasing religious people.
For context, the emblem depicts the stag that Saint Hubert encountered before he became a saint. The story dates back to the seventh century, and tells of the son of a duke who preferred to go hunting instead of attending church. Hubert spotted a deer and followed it, who turned around to face him with a glowing cross between its antlers.
“Hubert, unless you turn to the Lord, and lead a holy life, you shall quickly go down to hell,” he heard the animal speak. The man thus became a staunch Catholic, and stayed that way until his death.
News platform l SWI swissinfo.ch reported that the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property had argued that the branding could upset consumers due to “religious leanings” in Switzerland, and tried to block the logo from appearing outside of Jägermeister’s packaging.
However, the Federal Administrative Court ruled that while the logo’s muse was undoubtedly the Christian tale, consumers are more likely to associate the image with the liquor than the story.
As Jägermeister’s logo has been prominent for decades, the image would have “weakened its religious character,” the court insisted. It’s a spirit, but not many people are going to think of the Holy Spirit.
Jägermeister now has free rein to apply the imagery on a greater selection of products in Switzerland. Aside from its bottles, the logo can now appear on “cosmetics, mobile phones, or telecommunication services” as well as the brand’s promotional activities.
[via Munchies, cover image via Darios / Shutterstock.com]
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