Indigo Brands – South African trademarks
Updated 8 November 2026
Indigo Brands is a South African maker of fragrances, cosmetics and toiletries, including Yardley London and other brands sold through South African retailers.
How Indigo Brands has built and protected its brands in South Africa – its trademark portfolio, where it expanded, how quickly its marks are registered, and who it competes with.
Download report (PDF)Indigo Brands trademarks in 45 seconds
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/indigo-brands-south-african-trademarks/overview-video.html
A portfolio built over time
Indigo Brands filed its first South African trademark in 1922 and has filed 304 since; its busiest year was 2019, with 44 new filings. The chart shows its filings per year from 1970.
Trademarks by filing year, up to 2024; applications still pending are not included.
The names behind the portfolio
Over the years the group has filed under several names – earlier company names, holding companies and subsidiaries. We count them together.
| Name | Marks | Filing years |
|---|---|---|
| Indigo Brands | 356 | 1922–2023 |
| Indigo Cosmetics | 1 | 2008–2008 |
Where Indigo Brands expanded its business
Trademark classes show what a business sells. Indigo Brands' portfolio is concentrated in cosmetics & cleaning (class 3), pharmaceuticals (class 5), coffee, flour & sweets (class 30). Its most recent moves were into coffee, flour & sweets (1976), pharmaceuticals (1975), cosmetics & cleaning (1922).
Indigo Brands trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2023
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/indigo-brands-south-african-trademarks/class-expansion-video.html
Each tile is a class; it lights up when the group first files in it and darkens with more filings; the dots show how many of its closest rivals also file in that class. The chart compares the number of classes used with its rivals. The video runs from 1970; classes entered earlier are lit from the start.
| Class | Marks | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Cosmetics & cleaning | 300 | 98.7% | 1922 |
| 5 Pharmaceuticals | 3 | 1.0% | 1975 |
| 30 Coffee, flour & sweets | 1 | 0.3% | 1976 |
The brands Indigo Brands protects most
The word marks and logo names Indigo Brands has filed most often – the same brand filed in more classes, in more versions or again over the years.
| # | Brand | Trademarks | Classes | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | YARDLEY LONDON CONQUER | 3 | 1 | 2020–2020 |
| 2 | BLUE STRATOS | 2 | 2 | 1973–1978 |
| 3 | GERM DEFENCE | 2 | 2 | 2020–2020 |
| 4 | BEAUTY MAGIC | 2 | 1 | 1964–2010 |
| 5 | ESP | 2 | 1 | 1982–1984 |
| 6 | HORIZON | 2 | 1 | 1992–1999 |
| 7 | I VANILLA | 2 | 1 | 2005–2016 |
| 8 | PANACHE | 2 | 1 | 1967–1978 |
| 9 | PURE PERFORMANCE | 2 | 1 | 1993–1994 |
| 10 | YARDLEY LACE | 2 | 1 | 1985–2009 |
| 11 | YARDLEY LONDON | 2 | 1 | 2019–2020 |
| 12 | YARDLEY OF LONDON | 2 | 1 | 1994–1994 |
| 13 | YOU'RE THE FIRE | 2 | 1 | 1975–2010 |
| 14 | 442 | 1 | 1 | 2005–2005 |
| 15 | 442 PACE | 1 | 1 | 2007–2007 |
Logos filed most often (since 2020)
Indigo Brands' logos
The 13 different logos Indigo Brands has had published since 2020 – each logo shown once, however many classes or versions it was filed in. Logos protected in more classes come first.
How quickly its trademarks are registered
Over the last five years, Indigo Brands' marks took a median of 3.2 years from filing to registration, slower than the market's 2.7 years. Most of that time is examination: 2.2 years from filing to acceptance (market: 1.9). Registration itself follows about half a year after acceptance.
Median years from filing to registration per registration year, split into examination (filing → acceptance) and acceptance → registration; the dashed line is the market median. A high recent value means older applications came through that year.
Who files the most in Indigo Brands' classes
Ranked by number of trademarks filed in Indigo Brands' main classes – any company that files there, whatever else it does (including retailers' own brands). This shows Indigo Brands' market position, not who is most like it.
In the last five years, Indigo Brands was #18 of 1,836 filers in class 3 (cosmetics & cleaning), with 17 of 3,958 trademarks; #1990 of 2,050 filers in class 5 (pharmaceuticals), with 1 of 6,111 trademarks.
Indigo Brands' share of all trademarks filed in each of its main classes, per filing year.
Top trademark filers in class 3 (cosmetics & cleaning), South Africa 1975–2024: Indigo Brands
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/indigo-brands-south-african-trademarks/class-3-race-video.html
Main competitors – the companies most like Indigo Brands
Ranked by how similar their whole trademark portfolio is to Indigo Brands' – the same mix of classes and the same words in their marks – not by size. Large filers in its classes that do something different rank lower here.
Indigo Brands' closest competitors in South Africa are L'Oreal, Amka, LVMH and Bora Creations.
Indigo Brands trademarks vs competitors: filings per year, 2010–2024
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/indigo-brands-south-african-trademarks/competitors-video.html
Trademark filings per year: Indigo Brands (orange) and its five closest competitors.
| # | Company | Relationship | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L'Oreal | Direct competitor | 100% |
| 2 | Amka | Direct competitor | 92% |
| 3 | LVMH | Direct competitor | 83% |
| 4 | Bora Creations | Direct competitor | 80% |
| 5 | Beiersdorf | Direct competitor | 80% |
| 6 | Unilever | Direct competitor | 80% |
| 7 | Avon Products | Direct competitor | 78% |
| 8 | Procter & Gamble | Direct competitor | 78% |
| 9 | Clinique Laboratories | Direct competitor | 75% |
| 10 | Make Up Art Cosmetics | Direct competitor | 73% |
Similarity of trademark activity since 2015 (classes and words used in marks). Retailers appear where their own brands compete on the shelf.
Indigo Brands – relevant export countries
South Africa exported US$1.5 billion of the goods Indigo Brands' main classes cover in the last year – cosmetics; essential oils; perfumery; dentifrices (class 3); dietary supplements; pharmaceuticals; disinfectants; veterinary preparations (class 5); tea; coffee; bread (class 30). Combining where these goods are exported, imported, growing and made (and copied), and what protection costs, these are the markets where Indigo Brands' trademarks matter most.
Where South Africa exports Indigo Brands' top goods
Indigo Brands' trademarks most often cover cosmetics, dietary supplements, tea, perfumery and essential oils. South Africa's ten largest export markets for these goods took 62% of its exports of them in 2024.
South Africa's exports of each good to the country in 2024 (US$ million). The goods are the ones Indigo Brands' specifications mention most in its main classes; the figures are national exports, not the company's own sales.
Adjust the weightings
These weightings decide how the countries below are ranked. Change any value and the others adjust to keep the total at 100%.
Worldwide
| # | Market | Score | SA exports | Import growth / yr | Route | Cost, 3 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Union | 76 | US$106 m | +3% | National | US$1,859 |
| 2 | United States of America | 75 | US$66 m | +0% | National | US$2,075 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 70 | US$38 m | +1% | National | US$1,012 |
| 4 | Namibia | 65 | US$191 m | +12% | ARIPO | US$343 |
| 5 | Japan | 64 | US$11 m | -2% | National | US$1,187 |
| 6 | Australia | 63 | US$41 m | -4% | National | US$1,660 |
| 7 | Zimbabwe | 63 | US$137 m | +13% | ARIPO | US$343 |
| 8 | Botswana | 62 | US$178 m | +2% | ARIPO | US$343 |
| 9 | Canada | 61 | US$7.4 m | +0% | National | US$1,623 |
| 10 | Türkiye | 60 | US$7.7 m | +6% | National | US$980 |
Africa
| # | Market | Score | SA exports | Import growth / yr | Route | Cost, 3 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namibia | 65 | US$191 m | +12% | ARIPO | US$343 S&Z |
| 2 | Zimbabwe | 63 | US$137 m | +13% | ARIPO | US$343 S&Z |
| 3 | Botswana | 62 | US$178 m | +2% | ARIPO | US$343 S&Z |
| 4 | Mozambique | 58 | US$97 m | +5% | ARIPO | US$343 S&Z |
| 5 | Malawi | 58 | US$34 m | +15% | ARIPO | US$343 S&Z |
| 6 | Nigeria | 58 | US$19 m | -8% | National | US$609 S&Z |
| 7 | Eswatini | 57 | US$67 m | -6% | ARIPO | US$343 S&Z |
| 8 | OAPI (17 states) | 54 | US$17 m | +6% | National | US$1,194 S&Z |
| 9 | Tanzania | 54 | US$15 m | -4% | ARIPO | US$343 S&Z |
| 10 | Lesotho | 54 | US$39 m | +3% | National | US$314 |
SA exports = South Africa's exports of these goods to the market in the last year. Ranked with the default weightings. Score 0–100 from South Africa's exports of the goods to the market, net imports, import growth, foreign trademark filings, where the goods are made, market size and the cost of protection. Costs are total fees (official and professional) to file in 3 classes; ARIPO costs are per country, plus US$280 once per ARIPO application; S&Z = S&Z's own all-in price. Goods are taken from the classes and specifications, so the ranking is indicative.
Trade data: CEPII BACI (version 202601, trade flows 2022–2024), Licence Etalab 2.0; aggregated and combined with other data by S&Z.
Protecting its top brands in Nigeria and OAPI with S&Z
| Brand | Classes | Nigeria | OAPI (17 states) |
|---|---|---|---|
| YARDLEY LONDON CONQUER | 1 | US$203 | US$824 |
| BLUE STRATOS | 2 | US$406 | US$1,009 |
| GERM DEFENCE | 2 | US$406 | US$1,009 |
| BEAUTY MAGIC | 1 | US$203 | US$824 |
| ESP | 1 | US$203 | US$824 |
S&Z all-in prices per brand in its number of classes, filing to registration.
TM Country Selection Rank the countries for your own goods and get the quotes.
Word marks you may have considered opposing
For Indigo Brands' five most-filed brands: word marks of other companies (not Indigo Brands' own group) that our similar word mark search, SimTM, found in the brand's own classes, and that we consider confusingly similar – from the earliest match found to today.
Similar to YARDLEY LONDON CONQUER (class 3; searched 2019-03-27 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to BLUE STRATOS (classes 3, 5; searched 2018-01-31 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to GERM DEFENCE (classes 3, 5; searched 2018-03-28 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to BEAUTY MAGIC (class 3; searched 2018-01-31 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to ESP (class 3; no close matches in the search)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found.
Similarity of the words only. Whether a mark could have been opposed depends on the goods and services, the reputation of the brand and the facts – S&Z can advise. New marks like these are what SimTM watch reports as they are published.
How S&Z can help you
S&Z does not just file trademarks. We are a technology-first firm that manages trademarks – analysing your data, monitoring competitors and making sure your trademark assets remain protected.
We manage your trademarks – not just file them
Analysing your data, monitoring competitors and making sure your trademark assets remain protected:
Filing and renewal at fixed, all-inclusive prices
S&Z prices – South African trademarks
| Filing, first class – incl. official fee, examination report, routine office action, acceptance, publication, registration and e-certificate | US$240 |
| Each additional class of the same mark, filed at the same time | US$225 |
| Renewal online, per class (every 10 years from filing) | R1,027 ≈ US$62.29 |
Renewal in rand; US$ at R16.49 per US$.
Indigo Brands' next five years of renewals
129 of Indigo Brands' registered marks reach their ten-year renewal date in 2027–2031. Renewed online with S&Z, that costs about US$8,035 over the five years.
Indigo Brands: frequently asked questions
What should Indigo Brands consider for its trademarks?
- Where to file next: its goods sell strongly in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana – markets where South African exports of the same goods are large or growing, and where S&Z files at its own all-in prices (see “Indigo Brands – relevant export countries”).
- Possible gaps: its competitors also protect class 21 (kitchenware), class 18 (leather & bags) – worth checking against what the business sells or plans to sell.
- Brand coverage: Yardley London Conquer, Blue Stratos, Germ Defence, Beauty Magic, Esp are protected in only one or two classes – check whether related goods or services (for example merchandise or online services) need cover too.
- Fewer new brands: new brand names fell from 16.2 to 2.4 a year – worth reviewing whether planned launches are being protected early enough.
- Renewals and use: keep track of the ten-year renewal dates and of marks that are no longer used – unused marks can be challenged after five years, and some may no longer be worth renewing.