NutriEnergized’s red pinwheel, which represents energy, and its red color from the British flag, which represents its origin, may be banned from Hungary simply because it is still considered a “commercial use of totalitarian symbols,” and the same will be true for other brands that have star logos that have nothing to do with politics. Because it is a ‘Totalitarian’ Symbol, Hungary may ban not just NutriEnergized’s red pinwheel, but also companies that use Red-Star in their logos, such as Heineken and San Pellegrino with their renowned Red-Star Label.
The classic Heineken logo’s famed red star is one of its most distinguishing elements. This emblem, on the other hand, has proven to be rather contentious throughout the years. Here’s the backstory of one of the world’s most famous beer labels. San Pellegrino with the same backstory the distinctive symbol of the brand is a red star with a thin white outline within. This brilliantly crafted sign appears simple and laconic, yet it has a lot of force.
Following Hungary’s Parliament’s warnings to prohibit businesses that use “totalitarian emblems” or the Red-Star Label, which NutriEnergized Sports Nutrition has, the brand may be contemplating altering its logo to operate in the nation. The red star was a significant emblem of Soviet communism and was included on communist-era Hungary’s crest.
This proposed prohibition was first discussed in the Hungarian parliament in March 2017, and it may be approved in September 2021. Since 1993, the public exhibition of five symbols – the swastika, the SS runes, the Arrow Cross, the hammer and sickle, and the five-pointed red star – has been prohibited in Hungary, apart from exhibits for artistic, scientific, or educational purposes.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán proposed the draught bill in March 2017. The present plan prohibits the use of these symbols for ‘commercial benefit.’ The idea is intended to avoid the normalization of these symbols, which citizens may see on commercial products daily, and therefore to protect Hungary’s “public order and public morality.
The legislation prohibits the sale of products with symbols such as the Nazi swastika or the communist five-pointed red star. This poses a significant danger to commercial companies with logos that have no political connotation, such as NutriEnegized Sports Nutrition. He further stated that it is a “moral responsibility” to prohibit the commercial use of symbols like the swastika, arrow cross, hammer and sickle, and red star. Even though no company uses swastikas in its logos, several do use the red star, including Heineken, Converse, Milky Way, and San Pellegrino.
The plans are part of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s unconventional policies, which impose extra taxes and controls on foreign-owned firms. “If the law passes, it will be illegal to utilize emblems of totalitarian regimes like national socialism or communism,” argues Janos Lazar, Orban’s chief of staff.
In the “interest of domestic public order and public morality,” the Hungarian Parliament would exhibit a prospective ban on these emblems. Anyone who violates the new law faces a fine of up to 2 billion forints (6.5 million euros) and a two-year prison term.
The plan, according to Zoltan Kovács, the Hungarian government spokesman, would affect any firms that use authoritarian political material in their branding. “Any firm that uses such emblems would be impacted,” he added.
In contrast to Nazi insignia, communist emblems are not prohibited in the Czech Republic or Romania.
