InBev:  No one holds more beer

New: InBev name and logo

Launched: August 27, 2004

Story in brief:
Corporate identity fans might remember the 1987 launch of "Interbrew," designed to announce the secret merger of two bitterly competitive family-owned Belgian breweries (one Flemish, one Walloon).

Now, by acquiring Brazil's AmBev, Belgium's Interbrew has just become the worlds largest brewer (measured in gallons. Anheuser-Busch is still larger in income.)

But it's complicated. While their corporate brands will be 'faded out,' Interbrew and AmBev continue to operate independently in their respective hemispheres, with separate boards and stock listings. (As I understand it, Interbrew/InBev got 57% of AmBev in exchange for its Mexican operation plus the Labatt and Rolling Rock brands.)

According to InBev's Marianne Amssoms, CEO John Brock wanted to create "a bold, unique and modern identity," to help effect the dramatic re-positioning of  "a 14th century company" into a 21st century brand. An internal task group proposed the "logical" InBev name. For design help, Brock found his way to a New York advertising agency who claims no prior identity credentials.

Credits:
CEO - John Brock
Identity counsel, naming - internal
Design -  McGarry Bowen, an NYC advertising agency

First Impressions:
The name: one part Interbrew, one part AmBev says "merger!" Logical indeed, if a bit mechanical; but it's certainly short and functional, and in time I suppose we can warm up to it.

The logo:  Nothing here to warm up to. It's tortured type from the 1960's, with an 'I' made red so we see the exclamation point... but to what point? What vision, what intention for InBev's future is Mr. Brock struggling to express in this mark? It's said to convey "our passion for the business" but I'm sorry, the message I get is more like "Isn't this a clever logo?"

In contrast, the AmBev mark has stature and straightforward dignity. The Interbrew bird has heritage and a personality, a bit quirky but appealing. InBev lacks both, I'm sorry to say.