“The Jägermeister logo has been interpreted erroneously as a symbolic representation of the phrase, ‘Oh dear God.’ Perhaps a familiar refrain to those who have partaken too freely. The surrounding circle is the ‘O(h)’, the stag is the ‘dear’ and the cross represents ‘God’.”
Quoted from the book Champions of Design 2, written by jkr (December 2012).
Image via gagfun.com
The first Champions of Design book was featured on my other blog, and many of the case studies are shown on the jkr website.
The Hubertus legend
Here’s the actual trademark story (via Jägermeister):
“Only a legendary stag’s head would suffice, one with a beaming cross between its antlers. The stag that appeared to a wild hunter and converted him to Christianity. The same hunter who would later become the patron saint of all hunters: Saint Hubertus.
“This stag remains today, as it always has been, the Jägermeister trademark. A symbol of the preservation of our quality and tradition.”
Photo by Neha Sharma
Thank you for a little history lesson.
Hmm. Always thought it was Saint Eustace.
‘The iconography of his legend is entangled with the legend of Saint Eustace’ -wiki
not many logos that I know of have background stories like this. I’ll bet there are a few more out there…
‘Oh dear God’ Apt for my experiences with this drink. Fantastic brand and story.
Hahahaha! I love the history of the logo. And, yes, I have exclaimed after a night of partaking in the Jager shot, “Oh dear god.”
The Jägermeister logo is taken from the vision of Saint Hubertus. Jägermeister means “master hunter.”
On Good Friday morning, when the faithful were crowding the churches, Hubert went hunting. As he was pursuing a magnificent stag, the animal turned and he beheld a crucifix standing between its antlers.
That’s why we write about Jagermeister in the SaintsforSinners Saint Hubert story and always use some orange!
It’s one of the few surviving logos that uses the “long s.” Beautiful!