“Italia ’90 is the child of Italy’s economic boom in the 1980s,” says design historian Gabriele Oropallo. This confident, brash identity certainly does evoke the post-industrial, postmodern tastes of that time. The mascot is called “Ciao” and is perhaps unique among its FIFA World Cup peers for not being inspired by the animal world. Ciao is visibly agile and fiercely patriotic, and more than most mascots has endured in the nation’s psyche. His name was chosen by popular vote from a simple multiple-choice poll (on the back of football-pool tickets). “They even made a Ciao soft toy,” reminisces Oropallo, “although it wasn’t particularly cuddly!”

This logo still makes a lot of people feel warm inside: the childhood pleasure of collecting stickers. The little jouster is said to derive from the sticker book empire’s founder Giuseppe Panini’s nickname “The Knight”. The linear format is effective and the design evokes boyish adventure. Luckily Panini has stuck with this classic and continues to sell millions of stickers across the world.

The omino con i baffi (“the mustachioed little man”) was created by Paul Campani for Italy’s premier moka machine manufacturer in the 1950s. This portly little figure has his finger in the air as if to order another espresso. With his trilby, moustache and comically tired eyes the omino has come to typify a kind of Italian – the smart, coffee-guzzling, bar-propping office worker of yore.

Once a shining star of Italian technological and manufacturing prowess, it is only right that Olivetti should have a robust logo. The logo type was created by Swiss graphic designer Walter Ballmer in 1970. Rounded corners on lower case letters are playful and user friendly but also speak of reliability. The logo was recently changed, making more use of the gently squared “O”.

One of the most recognisable symbols of Italy, the distinctive Alitalia corporate identity was actually designed by an American. Air livery master Walter Landor won the 1969 international competition that called for branding that spoke of professionalism, modernity and was unmistakably Italian. The typeface is solid and has been a pleasingly reliable factor for this often struggling flag carrier. Heavyset but rounded (and since 2006, sadly italicised), thick lettering exudes friendliness and charm. The tail-shaped A is a simple device and translates easily to company material from check-in to napkin.

This dairy number from South Tyrol capitalises on the region’s Germanic traditions. This is a simple adaptation of the typically Tyrolean shield of the village of Sterzing (Vipiteno in Italian). A simple visual strategy is often the best bet: think yoghurt, think snow, think mountains, think South Tyrol!

Anthropomorphic logos are all too rare nowadays but what’s not to like about a smiling coffee pot drinking itself? Hausbrandt began in late 19th-century Trieste, just as the city became Austria’s port. This little chap is called “Moka” and was designed by Luciano Biban in 1960. The diagonal line was embellished on coffee packaging in the 1980s with a red/gold split.

Parmalat’s formative logo does what it says on the (milk) bottle. Clean, well-made, controlled and refreshing, just like the milk that this giant dairy sells. Parmalat’s branding strategy was one of maximum visual impact, hence the incongruous sight of a milk brand sponsoring Formula 1 motor racing in the 1970s and ’80s.

This logo and company is synonymous with the five-note jingle that accompanied TV ads for this toy manufacturer broadcast in Italy, Spain and much of South America. The doll is but a collection of shapes and with the thin-striped badge evokes the graphic language of early computing in the 1980s.

Agip’s peculiar six-legged dog is a familiar roadside friend in Italy. In use since 1953 the creature represents the services provided to both man (two legs) and car (four wheels) by the parent company of Agip, oil and gas giant Eni. In 1972 Dutch-born, naturalised Italian Bob Noorda at Milan’s Unimark was brought in to modernise brand Eni. Noorda penned the dog into a distinctive yellow square with chamfered corners. Unimark’s typographic confidence (it had redesigned the New York subway wayfinding system some years earlier) is clear. A classic Standard Bold is transformed into a roadworthy font with a white central rule. Buon viaggio!