Why Is “N” the Only Black Letter in Nutella?

Download Article

Culinary content creator Ian Heydecke goes over the real reasons why the “N” is black in Nutella

Co-authored by Maryana Lucia Vestic, MFA, M.Phil.

Last Updated: January 28, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Why “N” Is The Only Black Letter
|
• Why are people interested?
|
• How is Nutella pronounced?

|Show more |Show less

Nutella is one of the most popular products around the world today. But what most people want to know these days is, why is the “N” in Nutella black while the rest of it is red? We’re here to share everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the history of the Nutella logo, how it got that way, and why it’s the recent focus of multiple social media posts and memes. We’ll also address the age-old question—is it pronounced NUH-tella or NEW-tella?

Why is “N” the only black letter in Nutella?

Culinary content creator Ian Heydecke says the black “N” in the red Nutella logo originated due to trademark issues. In 1965, Nutella’s parent company changed the name from SuperCrema to Nutella. To distinguish the logo from a similar brand, the “N” was made black, which also helped increase brand recognition.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Why the “N” Is the Only Black Letter in Nutella

Download Article

1. 
   1
   The “N” is black to avoid trademark issues. The primary reason the “N” is black in Nutella is due to trademark issues, says Heydecke. The famous hazelnut spread evolved from an earlier product called Giandujot, a hazelnut paste that was then made into a spread called SuperCrema. When SuperCrema's parent company, Ferrero, renamed the product Nutella in 1964, there was already an all-red trademark in place for another brand called Nutella. To avoid confusion and any legal issues, Ferrero decided to keep the "N" in Nutella black.

   • Making the “N” black not only became unique, but also made it possible to register the product as a protected trademark.
   • Why did Ferrero change the name from SuperCrema to Nutella? In the 1960s, a change in legislation in Italy prohibited the word "Super" in food brand names, due to the belief that it would mislead customers. Therefore, SuperCrema was forced to change its name.
2. 
   2
   It offers brand recognition. The memorable black and red Nutella logo helps customers recognize the brand, making the black “N” a deeply ingrained part of what they trust about the brand. Ferrero also uses a lowercase "n" for the Nutella logo to make it more friendly, casual, and inviting. The logo itself hasn’t really changed since 1964, which also makes it more likely that customers will stay loyal, even if they’re not 100% sure why they do so.

   • A jar of Nutella is sold somewhere in the world every 2.5 seconds.
   • One quarter of the world's hazelnut production goes into the manufacture of Nutella.
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   The black provides a striking visual contrast with red. Heydecke notes that the black “N” is also a bit of marketing psychology. When designing the Nutella logo, Ferrero chose black for the “N” because it’s associated with strength, elegance, and sophistication; they paired it with red, since red expresses energy, passion, and appetite (to get consumers hungry!). The contrast also allows Nutella to stand out on the supermarket shelf for possible customers.

   • The Ferrero company made the first letter of its Kinder chocolate bars black, too. In addition to Nutella, Ferrero also owns Kinder, Tic Tac, and Ferrero Rocher.
   • Nutella is made up of the English "nut" (referring to the hazelnut base) and the Latin/Italian diminutive suffix "-ella," meaning "sweet" or "small.”
   • The Nutella logo uses a custom, bold, lowercase sans-serif typeface (similar to Neue Singular H Black), along with modifications that include a diagonal cut on the "T."
Advertisement

Section 2 of 3:

Why are people interested in the Nutella logo?

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Social media users began to wonder why the “N” in Nutella is black. TikTok users started posting videos of themselves staring in confusion at a jar of Nutella (as in a video by TikTokers @the_mannii and another one by @callmegrand). In one Instagram reel by user @kristy.thepinkpony, she even redesigned the Nutella logo to an all-red logo to prove that customers preferred the original logo that they knew and trusted.

   • Francesco Rivella, the original creator of Nutella, passed away on February 14, 2025, at the age of 97. After his death, more and more people became interested in the secrets behind the Nutella logo.
   • A so-called pink version of Nutella also went viral in 2024, but turned out to be a fake.
2. 
   2
   Nutella memes have become super popular. In addition to social media posts about the Nutella logo, general memes have popped up featuring Nutella. They mostly portray a jar of Nutella humorously, using pop culture references like movies, characters, and social media trends. Here are some top picks:

   • Nutella Keeps the Abs Away
   • I’m in Heaven Kid
   • Snow White
   • How do you feel?
   • Nutella sandwich
   • Giant Nutella
Advertisement

Section 3 of 3:

How is Nutella pronounced?

Download Article

1. 
   Nutella's pronunciation varies depending on where you live. According to Ferrero, the U.S. version of Nutella is pronounced "New-TELL-uh" (which rhymes with "you-tell-uh"), while the version sold in the UK, Italy, and elsewhere in Europe is pronounced "NUT-ella" (rhymes with "nut-ella"). Specifically, the Italian variation emphasizes the middle syllable (“TELL”) and pronounces the “uh” more clearly.

   • Be sure to celebrate World Nutella Day on February 5th!

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!