Ten Classic American Brands Owned by Foreign Companies

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13 hours ago

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June 13, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Ten Classic American Brands Owned by Foreign Companies

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Popular brands have an intangible effect on culture. As symbols of eras past and present, they’re associated with identities, lifestyles, and trends in society.

Using data from 24/7 Wall St, we list some classic American brands that are owned by foreign companies

A List of American-Founded, Foreign-Owned Brands

Tiffany and Co.’s 183-year American story came to an end in 2019 after French luxury giant LVMH announced plans to acquire the company.

The sale did not progress smoothly but in 2021, LVMH completed its acquisition for a slightly-reduced $16 billion price tag.

In the years since, Tiffany’s earnings have doubled, LVMH’s stock price has risen 50%, and Bernard Arnault—LVMH Chairman and CEO—has become the world’s richest man.

CompanyFirst Sold to
Foreign BuyerCurrent Owner Trader Joe’s1979🇩🇪 Aldi Nord Burger King1989🇬🇧 Grand Metropolitan 7-Eleven1991🇯🇵 Seven & I Holdings Lucky Strike1994🇬🇧 British American Tobacoo Chrysler1998🇳🇱 Stellantis N.V. Ben and Jerry’s2000🇬🇧 Unilever* IBM (PC Business)2005🇨🇳 Lenovo Budweiser2008🇧🇪 Anheuser-Busch InBev Popeyes2017🇨🇦 Restaurant Brands International Tiffany & Co.2019**🇫🇷 LVMH
*Unilever has announced it’s spinning off its ice cream businesses. **Deal finalized in 2021. Data current to May 2024.

Another brand from 19th century America, Lucky Strike, saw its ownership change in 1994, when British American Tobacco Company acquired the American Tobacco Company.

Meanwhile, a hallmark of the American automaker landscape, Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998. Since then however the company has moved and merged with others (Fiat) and is now under the Stellantis N.V. group, with headquarters located in Hoofddorp, Netherlands.

A more recently born U.S. brand, (in comparison to earlier mentioned stalwarts), Trader Joe’s stayed American-owned for only 12 years after it was founded in 1967. Theo Albrecht, owner and CEO of Aldi Nord, a German supermarket chain, acquired the business in 1979.

The Evolution of U.S. Beer Logos

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2 hours ago

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May 4, 2024 Article/Editing: Graphics/Design:

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.


The Evolution of U.S. Beer Logos

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Despite selling a popular product, beer companies have to be creative to stand out in a competitive market.

In this graphic, we analyze the evolution of some U.S. beer logos based on various sources. We chose brands based on a mixture of criteria, including popularity (based on YouGov surveys), availability of logo assets, and those with interesting developments.

Bud Light Back to the ’80s

Despite recent backlash and calls for a boycott after sending a commemorative can to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light remains one of America’s best-selling beers.

The brand of light beer, owned by the Anheuser-Busch company, has switched from its more circular logo with italic letters adopted in the 1990s back to the Bud Light badge of the 1980s. It is composed of heavy uppercase lettering, written in two levels in a shade of blue with the inscription placed on a solid white background and enclosed in a thin rectangular frame.

Miller Lite Goes Old School

After following a similar approach to Bud Light’s branding throughout the 2000s, Miller Lite decided to undergo a major rebranding in 2014.

The company returned to its 1970s roots, once again combining a white can with its original blue, gold, and red logo. The redesign was largely considered a success, given that Miller Lite sales immediately increased following the change.

A Symbol of American Brewing

The oldest brand on our U.S. beer list, the Budweiser logo, has undergone more than 15 changes over the years.

The design of two connected triangles represents a red bow tie, as a symbol of American brewing.

The colors of the Budweiser logo include a vibrant red, which helps the logo stand out and be easily recognizable from a distance. Studies also suggest that the color red stimulates appetite. Meanwhile, the white inscription symbolizes purity and cleanliness.

Curious to learn more about the beer market? Check out this graphic about global beer consumption.