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Notable UK Trademark

SWAN VESTAS

Swan Vestas has been registered in the UK for matches since the nineteenth century. The brand became Britain's most recognised match brand, with its distinctive yellow box a fixture in British homes, pubs, and shops for well over a century.

Classes34
StatusRegistered
On the register22+ years
Current ownerSWEDISH MATCH INDUSTRIES AKTIEBOLAG

UK IPO Record

Application Number
UK00903146545
Word Mark
SWAN VESTAS
Status
Registered
Applied
28 April 2003
Registered
8 June 2004
Next Renewal
28 April 2033
Owner
SWEDISH MATCH INDUSTRIES AKTIEBOLAG
Nice Classes
Class 34

Brand History & Trademark Analysis

Swan Vestas has been registered in the UK for matches since the nineteenth century. The brand became Britain's most recognised match brand, with its distinctive yellow box a fixture in British homes, pubs, and shops for well over a century. The trademark is now held by Swedish Match, and while match usage has declined dramatically, the brand retains strong nostalgic recognition among British consumers.

The trademark is now held by Swedish Match, and while match usage has declined dramatically, the brand retains strong nostalgic recognition among British consumers.

Nice Class 34 covers tobacco. View all Class 34 trademarks and case studies →

Historical Background

Swan Vestas was created by Bryant & May Limited, the dominant British match manufacturer, in the late nineteenth century. The name "vestas" derives from Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth, and was an early generic term for wax matches. Bryant & May was founded in 1839 and became notorious for the 1888 Matchgirls' Strike at its Bow factory, one of the earliest successful strikes by women workers in British industrial history. The match box design has remained almost unchanged since the early twentieth century.

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