Shell Logo History

The story of the shell logo starts in 1891 when it was used as a marker for kerosene ships in the Far East. Each ship in the fleet was named after a type of shell. This original trading company traded not only oil but trinkets which included pecten shells. In 1904 the shell emblem was added. Since then it has gone through numerous changes. Going from black and white to today's iconic red and yellow. It also started as a rather realistic shell and has since transformed in to a simpler form to reflect todays graphic design trends. The reason the colors were chosen have been long forgotten but speculation suggests that they chose the colors so that the vibrant colors would attract costumers. They also could have been chosen because of the strong Spanish ties that California had with Spain. The shell company says they want their logo to stand for the professionalism and quality that their company offers.