The Allstate logo offers help and protection. Having taken out a policy, clients will feel completely safe. The elements of the logo show care, attention to the needs of users, calmness, and confidence in the future.
Allstate: Brand overview
Allstate is an abbreviated form of the name of the American insurance organization Allstate Corporation. At first, it was part of the structure of Sears, Roebuck, and Co., but then it was separated into a separate firm. The year of its appearance is considered to be 1931. The head office is located in Northfield Township, Illinois, where it was moved in 1967. Currently, it is the largest corporation with an annual revenue of about $40 billion.
Meaning and History
The history of the insurance company dates back to 1925 when the management of the Sears department store chain announced a contest for the best brand name for automobile tires. From over 2 million choices, Allstate was chosen and was incorporated the following year, securing the trademark. The tires were in high demand, so the name was on everyone’s lips.
Then Carl L. Odell, an insurance agent, proposed the concept of mail-order auto insurance to Robert E. Wood, head of Sears Chairman General. He, in turn, proposed the idea to the board of directors and received approval. Thus, Allstate Insurance Company was named after a brand of tires. The idea was born almost by accident – during a train ride in 1930. And the next year, the company already began active work. The first Allstate office was opened in one of the Sears stores in Chicago in 1934.
Then, it began to expand the range of insurance services, including more and more new insured events into the package. In addition, the company changed offices several times in parallel due to its expansion. In 1950, it had an excellent marketing motto, which was the basis of corporate style and embodied in the emblem. Its author was Davis W. Ellis, general sales manager. It sounded as follows: “You are in good hands with Allstate.” The image of good hands was embodied in the emblem and became the main factor of trust in the insurer. The organization has continually refined it, earning a total of five insignia.
What is Allstate?
Allstate is an insurance, banking, and investment company. It is headquartered in the suburbs of Chicago.
1931 – 1955
The first 20 years of the company are associated with its formation, as the concept came out of the blue. All this time, the insurance service was making plans, getting a base for further activities, and selling auto insurance through the post office (mostly at first). Its logo presumably contained only lettering – the name in strict, plain sans serif letters.
1955 – 1969
With the slogan “You are in good hands,” the designers focused on the image of caring hands. After a competition, the management settled on a version with outstretched palms, which depicted a private house with a plot of land. The hands were rendered in white and placed in a black oval. To the right of it, there was an unfolded inscription with the motto (above), name (middle line), and legal status of the insurance organization (below).
1969 – 2006
In the next version of the logo, the developers changed the arrangement of the text. They made the center part a hand representing the roof of a house and a car and placed the phrase “You’re in Good Hands with Allstate” around it. All the graphic elements were drawn with black outlines and had no fill – they remained white except for the roof and the car. Above the pictogram was the name of the company, typed in a large, elongated font. In addition, the lettering received its own feature – a cut crossbar at the capital “A” and the same sharp angle at the bottom of the lowercase “a.”
1999 – 2006
As a result of the redesign, the logo was slightly changed: palms folded on each other were placed in an oval and moved to the left of the insurer’s name. The roof and the car disappeared from them, so the hands appeared open – turned with the inner side of the palms upwards, which meant the highest degree of trust to the clients. The color of the logo became blue for the first time.
2006 – today
After further modifications, the frame on the badge became a little wider, and the style of the inscription changed a little. One-third of the letters remained unchanged (“A” and two “l”), while the rest of the symbols received a new design (rounded and streamlined).
2017
For a brief period (May-September 2017), the company used a logo with a left-handed palm icon. It had a round shape. The hands had the previous design – strict, neat, with a clear image of each finger.
Allstate: Interesting Facts
Allstate Corporation, started in 1931 by General Robert E. Wood of Sears, is a big name in insurance, offering everything from auto and home to life and commercial insurance. It’s become one of the biggest insurance companies in the U.S.
- Start: Allstate began by selling auto insurance through Sears’ catalog, named after a tire brand from the same catalog.
- Innovation: It was one of the first to sell insurance by mail, changing how insurance was bought.
- Logo: Introduced in 1950, its logo of cupped hands and the slogan “You’re in good hands with Allstate” are widely recognized.
- More Than Auto Insurance: While it started with auto insurance, Allstate now offers a variety of insurance types and financial services.
- Customer Service: Allstate led the way in customer service, being among the first with 24/7 claims service.
- Disaster Response: It has special teams that respond quickly to natural disasters, helping customers after events like hurricanes and floods.
- Community Work: Allstate sponsors events like the Allstate Sugar Bowl and runs safe driving campaigns for teens.
- Becoming Independent: In 1993, Allstate separated from Sears and became its public company after an IPO.
- Growth Through Acquisitions: In 2011, it expanded by buying other companies, like Esurance, to increase its presence in the online insurance market.
- Tech and Innovation: Allstate invests in new technologies to better serve customers, including apps and online tools for easier insurance management.
Allstate has a rich history of innovation and service. It evolved from a simple auto insurer to a comprehensive provider of financial and insurance services, which shows its commitment to adapting and meeting customer needs over the years.
Font and Colors
The logo was designed not by specialists but by the employees of the insurance agency. On this occasion, the Allstate administration announced a contest for the most successful logo. The winner was the variant proposed by Theodore Conterio, for which he received a reward of 50 dollars. According to a study conducted in 2000 by the Medill Graduate Department of Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University, the original slogan and logo are the most credible.
The font used in the logo is reminiscent of Whitney SemiBold, a humanistic sans serif typeface. It was created by designer Tobias Frere-Jones and first published by Hoefler & Co.
The color palette is understated but calm, as required by the specifics of the insurance industry. At first, black dominated the corporate identity, then dark blue appeared, which has been retained to this day.
Allstate color codes
Dark Powder Blue | Hex color: | #0033a0 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 51 160 | |
CMYK: | 100 68 0 37 | |
Pantone: | PMS Dark Blue C |
FAQ
What does the Allstate logo represent?
The Allstate logo consists of a word mark and a two-handed emblem. Both elements are white and blue in color. A bold sans serif font is used for the word mark. The hands, or rather palms, are folded in a boat and are in an oval.
Where did the name Allstate come from?
Allstate was named after the brand under which the American department store chain Sears sold car tires.
What does the Allstate slogan represent?
The Allstate logo was inspired by the slogan, “You’re in good hands.” It is also used in the current advertising campaign but with a question mark at the end.
Who created the Allstate logo?
The creator of the iconic hand symbol is Theodore Conterio. He was one of Allstate’s employees at the time the logo was designed.