Client
ASTRA
Project
Herzanker
Description
For ASTRA, an iconic brand symbol was created - the Heart Anchor - embodying joy, attitude, and local connection, and it continues to stand as a symbol of Hamburg identity today.
Logo
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Packaging Design
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Relaunch
How does a trademark become a cultural symbol?
ASTRA, the beer brand from Hamburg's Kiez district, was looking for a logo that would do more than just create recognition: a symbol that expressed attitude and was deeply rooted in the city's lifestyle. The old image seemed arbitrary—a strong symbol was needed.
Solution
With the heart anchor, we developed a symbol that combines the heart for joie de vivre and the anchor for connection. Since 2000, it has been featured on bottles, crates, neon signs, and fan tattoos. Its simplicity and symbolic power have made the heart anchor one of the most recognizable logos in the German beer market—enduring and identity-defining.
“Tolerant, diverse, and full of life – that is what the Astra brand represents! The heart-anchor symbol makes Astra truly unique and unmistakable. (...) The anchor symbolizes its origins in St. Pauli: sometimes tough, but always warm-hearted.”
Carlsberg
Germany
Our work combines brand strategy with emotional design. We create symbols that integrate naturally into everyday life and have an impact that extends far beyond the brand itself. The heart anchor shows how powerful cultural roots can shape brands—an example of design that expresses values and lasts.
