Time Magazine recently compiled a list of the oldest company logos in the world. It is said to be a representation of a company's history and legacy in their respective industries. These company logos also prove the essence of marketing even in the early centuries of business and trade.
Then and now, marketing is an essential part of business. On this list, these old companies of the world show the value and power of a representation through the form of a company logo. A company logo does not only illustrate a mere design for a company, but it also helps one to introduce its own individual face to the broad borders of the global market.
Over time, these oldest company logos have changed their design, dramatically and subtly, to maintain its legacy and also be on the ground with the changing world. Altered or not, the primary element and the implication of their logos is not modified. And these primary factor is to show their company's face.
The oldest company logos in the world are:
The best-selling Belgian beer in the world, Stella Artois, also has the oldest company logo in the world. The Belgian beer company was founded in 1366 together with its first logo, by Sebastian Artois. The world Stella means "star" in Latin, only added until the company decided to release its first seasonal beer, the Christmas Star, back in 1926.
2. Twinings Tea
Founded back in 1706, Twinings Tea has used the same logo since its creation, back in 1887. Twinning Tea's logo also has the title of being the world's oldest unaltered logo, for continuously using it for 227 years. Aside from its logo, Twinings Tea also maintained the company's space in the same location on London's Strand, since its foundation by Thomas Twining in 1706.
3. Bass Ale
Bass Ale, a leading English beer company, has a simple logo composed of only a triangle and its company name. The triangle logo was first used in 1876, the company's first registered trademark that helped Bass Ale to become one of the most famous beer producers by 1890. With a solid market since early centuries ago, Bass Ale also made a name in history with its name in the novel by James Joyce, "Ulysses." The beer brand was also mentioned in the 1912 sinking of the Titanic, where the famed ocean liner carried 12,000 of Bass Ale's bottles, and even fought over by Napoleon.
4. Shell Oil
Shell Oil is founded in 1833 but only started using a mussel shell as its logo back in 1897 when it was still a Marcus Samuel and Company with kerosene shipping business. Then in 1904, it became a scallop shell logo. After they merged with Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, it retained the logo, and then only introduced the current red and yellow color scheme of the pecten logo after their first gas station in California in 1915.
Last in this list is a Levi's logo with two horses, which was first used in 1886. The 1886 logo of Levi Strauss & Co. was a marketing strategy to grow its market share before their copyright expired on the jean-making process. Before, early customers of the jean brand asked for pants with the famous two-horse logo.
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