In April 2026, the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) revealed the public’s top 10 iconic British trade marks, following a poll marking 150 years of trade mark registration in the UK.
Published: 24 June 2026
Authors: Andrew Brennan
Trade mark specialists will know that the first ever UK registration – UK00000000001 – was the Bass & Co red triangle label, filed on 1 January 1876, the opening day of the register. It placed fifth on the list.
At the top sat Rolls-Royce, described as “a worldwide metaphor for the best of the best”, with Radio Caroline and Twinings completing the top three. Cadbury ranked fourth, while Burberry, the Transport for London (TfL) roundel, Calpol, Mini and the BBC made up the remainder.
According to the IPO, these are the marks Britons feel have shaped their lives and are woven into the fabric of national identity – so familiar they feel like old friends.
The IPO also explored what makes a trade mark iconic. What emerged was a picture of trade marks not merely as commercial tools, but as markers of quality, memory and meaning. A mark’s iconic status can stem from many sources – whether a memorable advertising jingle, longstanding household trust, or even debate over how it is pronounced.
Today, 150 years on, the UK register contains more than 2.5 million marks. While around 400 live registrations still date back to the Victorian era, the system has proved highly adaptable. It now accommodates marks that would have been unimaginable in 1876 – including sound, motion, multimedia and hologram marks – covering goods and services unknown at the register’s inception.
That adaptability is increasingly being tested at the margins. One growing group of applicants is sports personalities seeking to protect their personal brands against third-party use. This sits against the backdrop of the UK’s lack of a comprehensive statutory image rights regime – an issue we have explored previously in the context of influencers.
Late last year, Chelsea footballer Cole Palmer secured registrations for a portrait mark (a photographic image of his face) and a motion mark (a video of his “shivering” goal celebration), alongside his “Cold Palmer” nickname and signature. This is understood to be the first time a footballer has secured a motion mark for a celebration, following changes introduced in 2018 allowing registration via multimedia files.
Similarly, last week, teenage darts sensation Luke Littler secured registration for an image of his face, aiming to control commercial use of his likeness and guard against AI-generated content and unauthorised merchandising.
This trend is not confined to the UK. In the United States, celebrities including Taylor Swift and Matthew McConaughey have also sought protection for elements of their personal brand. Most recently, Taylor Swift filed applications covering audio clips of her voice and a specific on-stage image from her Eras Tour.
At the EUIPO, the first sound mark application aimed at preventing deepfakes was filed by Italian singer Giusy Ferreri for the phrase “Sono Giusy Ferreri” (“I am Giusy Ferreri”) in May.
Using trade marks to protect personal attributes is not new. However, the combination of rapid advances in AI and this latest wave of celebrity filings suggests the trend is likely to accelerate. These marks may be challenging to secure and enforce in practice, but they represent a clear evolution in how trade mark protection is being used.
Whether Cole Palmer’s shiver or Luke Littler’s likeness will ever feature among the UK’s most iconic marks, however, remains to be seen.