Bera was the mother of Egill and it is Rgistered Trademark of the Month

Visitors to the headquarters of Bera and Ölgerðin at Grjótháls in Reykjavik are immediately met by the company's strong visual heritage: a large Malt logo greets them at the entrance, followed by a long corridor where decades of Ölgerðin's packaging and trademarks are displayed in a historical exhibition.

The company, which was founded in 1913 as Ölgerð Egils Skallagrímssonar and is listed on the Nasdaq Iceland stock exchange, has taken a new name: Bera. The name is a newly registered word mark with ISIPO and is the Registered Trademark of the Month for March.

Why change such a well-established name?

Jón Þorsteinn Oddleifsson, the new CEO of Bera, explains that the former parent company had expanded into areas well beyond brewing, particularly following the acquisitions of Gæðabakstur and Kjarnavörur last year. The decision was therefore taken to rename the parent company and simultaneously establish a new subsidiary that retains the Ölgerðin name. "In a sense, this means Ölgerðin is now closer to its core business again," says Jón.

Bera, Brák, Kveldúlfur, Mýrar and Agla

The choice of name will be familiar to those who know their sagas. Bera was the mother of Egill Skallagrímsson in Egils saga, and the names and trademarks of Ölgerð Egils Skallagrímssonar have always drawn on the saga's characters. The property company that owns the premises is called Mýrar; the bottling plant, Brák; the distillery, Kveldúlfur; Borg brugghús produces craft beer; and Agla produces craft soft drinks.

"It is rather fitting that the gender-neutral English term 'parent company' translates into Icelandic as móðurfélag — 'mother company'. It was therefore a natural choice to name the parent company after Bera Yngvarsdóttir, Egill's mother," says Jón.

Building the Bera brand

Jón says the expectation is that Bera will establish itself in the public consciousness as a mark of a solid and forward-looking food and beverage company, one that owners of food businesses will view as a credible acquirer and responsible owner. "The role of the parent company will primarily be to serve its subsidiaries, including Ölgerðin, which will then be free to focus on production, marketing and sales," he says.

As for the risk that people will simply keep using the old name regardless, Jón laughs and says they might just have to reverse course entirely. "Joking aside, this is not something we are worried about, because it is entirely in our hands to build Bera into a strong brand, while maintaining Ölgerðin as the name best known for what it does best."

The transition is being phased in gradually. Some changes — such as email signatures — were made immediately, while others, including signage on the building, are being updated over the coming weeks. Considerable effort has been put into informing and engaging staff. "The goal is for people to feel proud to work for Bera," says Jón.

Trademark V0140881, registered 14 March

The word mark BERA was filed in December 2025, published on 14 January and registered on 14 March 2026 in Classes 29, 30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 39 and 40, covering among other things jams and cereals, coffee, tea and cocoa, beer, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, business operations, financial management, and the transport and storage of food and beverages.

Highlighting the importance of trademark registration

Through the Registered Trademark of the Month initiative, ISIPO aims to raise awareness of the importance of trademark protection and to highlight Icelandic companies that build strong and distinctive brands. Staff at ISIPO select the Registered Trademark of the Month from among newly registered and recently renewed Icelandic trademarks representing Icelandic goods and/or services. The selected trademark must have clear distinguishing characteristics, strong distinctiveness, and an interesting story to tell.