The Gambrinus Logo redesign
Pierini Partners redesigned one of the most important CBN icons.
CBN was originated at the beginning of the twentieth Century and since then, it has strengthened its image through work and improvement. Entire generations have walked its corridors; have helped in its growth, and are testimonies of life stories.
It has plants in La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and Oruro, and it is “THE” Bolivian beer company. It produces several well-known brands: Paceña, Huari, Bock, Bicervecina, and Maltin among others. The quality of the raw materials and the careful elaboration process has made its beers memorable for everyone who has been in Bolivia. Conscious of this, one can understand how sensible people may be to any modification in something they love and admire.
Choosing its character
Ok, we should refresh this figure but… where should we start? How much should be modify without changing its history, its collective imaginary? Having this dilemma, we started analyzing this icon’s profile. Bolivian loved him the way it was but… would a change in its attitude, a more upright position, a more formal expression, attack or add to its values? This doubt was one the first questions we needed to answer. We tried with different options, exploring new features and personalities.
The first sketches “dressed” him with honor, glory and tradition. Then, we create different faces with different beards, expressions, etc. However, we finally discovered that the Gambrinus was warm rather than ceremonial. Seeing its environment was enough to reaffirm this idea. CBN has his image in its plants, labels, offices; the emotional bond was very notorious. After exchanging opinions with the marketing team, we all decided to maintain his friendly and warm personality. Having defined the values, we faced the project problem. The representation, which has been the same for years, was more linked to illustration rather than to the synthesis used in the market language. This was a complex inconvenient, especially thinking in the many different applications and the reproduction problems.
The body position as the attitude representation, adding subtleties
There are new ideas about design that hold the total destruction of the preexisting to create a new way of representation. Out with the old, in with the new!! This philosophy is unreal and dangerous. To ignore the tradition, the culture, or the consumer’s visual history is equal to depersonalize the message, to create a “cold” communication code, and with no conquer personality. No, CBN was not looking for that, and made the right choice; to modernize the Gambrinus, but to maintain all the positive qualities consumers find in him.
After having analyzed the local market, its consumption habits, and evaluated the different implementations for the Gambrinus (packaging, posters, signings, glasses, flags, trucks, uniforms, etc, etc), it was decided that only one representation technique was not enough. Taking into account its affective value, we could not do without the illustrated version (which has been so proudly exhibited in the labels since its origins). And it was a contradiction to consider a more modern corporative image, if the basis was such a traditionally illustrated image. Considering all this, we kept thinking that two representation styles (one of them gestual and the other one synthetic) was the right thing to do, and that we should pay especial attention to the Gambrinus’s attitude in both representations.
Elections about complementary typographies
The final result was very positive. There is formal coherence between the icons, and specified uses for the two versions. But there was an aspect of the project which had not been defined; we still have to decide which typography would complement the corporative use.
We should show evolution but in a classic language. After showing many options and exchanging opinions, we decided to use Roman characters. Neither pretentious, nor shocking or leaders, they have a traditional profile. We chose Goudy, in its bold and regular form, and we incorporated it to the institutional identity in a circular way, around the icon.
Details about the beer itself:
Brewed since 1946 in Bolivia
5.0 % alc. vol.
This Extra Tropical Pils beer is another Paceña’s product brewed in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, this is a special beer for hot and wet wheater well known in this region of Bolivia.
Paceña Red Lager – rated B+ @ Beeradvocate
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May 21, 2012