How many shells do you see over the course of the day? Unless you live near the beach, you probably see more Shell gas stations than actual shells! Shell has grown into a prominent oil and gas company, and the logo is instantly recognizable and iconic. While a shell has always been the focal point of the company’s logo, the logo development process has been full of twists and turns.

The Logo Development History of Shell

The first Shell logo was created early in the 20th century, with a relatively unremarkable design. The mark was a low-quality sketch of a mussel shell, and it was difficult for customers to determine what it represented at a glance. Unfortunately, the symbol did not improve when they attempted to revise it in 1909. While they did change to a more visually appealing scallop shell, the black and white design was lackluster and failed to stand out in a sea of competition.

Finally, in 1948, color was added into the equation. The image was rendered in red and yellow, and tweaked again in 1971 to become the distinct version we are most familiar with today. The designer added a red outline and cleaner lines that appear to mimic a crown. This version of the logo has only been slightly modified over the years. In the mid-90s, Shell adjusted the brightness of the colors and the angles of the curves to be easier on the eyes. Since 1995, the Shell logo, has remained the same and the iconic scallop shell still graces gas stations throughout the country.

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