Bell Logo PNG
The Bell logo is like a ringing phone call. Its high notes are heard everywhere and encourage you to pick up the phone. The emblem is large and noticeable, showing the company’s size and the long distances it transmits calls over.
Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated voice transmission in 1876 in Brantford, Ontario. In 1877, he transferred 75% of his Canadian rights to his father, Alexander Melville Bell, enabling the early private telephone lines before the rights were transferred to the National Bell Telephone Company. On April 29, 1880, a parliamentary act created the Bell Telephone Company of Canada and granted it access to public rights-of-way. Charles Fleetford Sise led operations from Montreal and expanded exchanges to 14 cities within a year.
By November 1880, Bell had settled patent disputes with the Western Union Telegraph Company. In 1881, it absorbed the remaining domestic competitors and launched the first intercity line between Toronto and Hamilton. Manufacturing began alongside network growth and later merged to form Northern Electric. In 1885, patents were invalidated, opening the market to regional operators and forcing Bell to focus on Ontario and Quebec.
In 1916, Bell completed a transcontinental link between Montreal and Vancouver. In 1931, it introduced toll-free calling. In 1962, it launched a commercial fax service. In 1964, Bell acquired full control of Northern Electric, later renamed Northern Telecom. By the mid-1970s, diversification raised regulatory concerns over pricing. In 1983, Bell Canada Enterprises was formed to separate operations. Under Jean de Grandpré, BCE grouped Bell and other subsidiaries, becoming one of Canada’s largest corporations.
Regulation shifted in 1990 as long-distance competition emerged. In 1998, Northern Telecom acquired Bay Networks, prompting BCE to reduce its stake in Nortel Networks and fully exit by 2000. In 2000, BCE acquired Teleglobe, which was later divested in 2002. In 2011, it purchased CTVglobemedia, strengthening its position against Rogers Communications. In 2013, it added Astral Media’s assets.
Meaning and History
Bell is historically associated with the American telecommunications giant AT&T; they even shared logos that reflected their close ties. But that all changed in 1973 when the Canadian division acquired its own Bell-Northern Research laboratory. Two years later, it left AT&T and continued to serve customers independently. The restructuring changed the brand’s identity: it ditched the traditional bell symbol and adopted a simple wordmark.
What is Bell?
Bell is a telecommunications company officially called Bell Canada. It provides radio, television, internet, and telephone services. Its history began in 1880. One of the company’s co-founders is Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. The brand is now actively developing new technologies such as IoT and 5G.
1880 – 1891
In 1880, Bell Canada was part of the newly formed Bell System and was named the Bell Telephone Company of Canada. The logo’s creators placed the full name in a frame around the elliptical shield. The center featured an image of the first telephone receiver: a vertically elongated structure with wires leading to it. The bottom featured a ribbon bearing the inscription “1880”, and minimalist patterns ran along the edges.
1891 – 1895
In 1891, artists changed the drawing’s geometry. They turned an ellipse with pointed edges into a circle and, accordingly, transferred the inscription “BELL TELEPHONE CO. OF CANADA “in the ring. The main decorative element was ivy: its leaves looked like a volumetric frame. The stem was a long wire from the telephone receiver, which lay next to the old apparatus’s body. In the center was an industrial landscape: wire lines along the road.
1895 – 1902
In 1895, the Canadian division first used the bell emblem. It was located in the middle of the gray circle. The company name was written inside a ring frame, with asterisks separating it. There was another inscription on the bell: “LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE.”
1902 – 1922
The telecom operator entered the 20th century with a new logo. The designers changed the bell’s shape, modified the font, and added additional rings to the frame. They also removed the two five-pointed stars to regroup the inscription and add the abbreviation “LTD” with a period.
1922 – 1939
In 1922, the 1895 design returned, with the stars replaced by maple leaves, a traditional Canadian symbol.
1939 – 1964
The bell pendant was changed in the middle of the 20th century. The text also changed: the word “SERVICE” appeared in the center, and the company name was set in a larger font.
1964 – 1972
When the regional division was renamed Bell Canada, the name predictably ended up inside the bell. All other phrases have disappeared. The ring turned black.
1972 – 1976
In 1968, Saul Bass & Associates was commissioned to design the Bell System corporate identity. Saul Bass himself, who was also a director, photographer, and typographer, took over the business. He also created the legendary intros for Alfred Joseph Hitchcock’s films.
The designer noticed the Bell logo had become simpler each year, so he made it minimalist and removed the remaining inscriptions. The Bell logo took on a modern look, expressed in a clear geometric shape with no dividing lines.
1977 – 1994
After the Bell Canada division split from the Bell System and AT&T to become part of BCE, its new executives abandoned a standardized corporate image. So the traditional bell disappeared – its place was taken by the blue inscription “BELL.” Don Black designed the wordmark.
1994 – 2009
In 1994, the font became italic. A graphic composition of several yellow lines appeared on top. One curved strip looked like the outline of a human face, while the other two formed an open ring. The drawing symbolized the telecommunications industry’s prospects.
2008 – today
In 2008, Don Black’s original design returned, only with new typography. In this version, the first three letters are connected. The lowercase “e” is circular, with its free end cut off at about a 45-degree angle. The top and bottom of the capital “B” differ in size, although the two sides were previously symmetrical.
Font and Colors
The early Bell Canada corporate identity was standardized, and it is different now. The old symbol disappeared, and the company began to use only a wordmark that emphasizes its individuality.
The telecom provider’s name is written in Century Gothic Bold. Typographers at the Monotype Type Drawing Office created this geometric sans-serif. The colors of the last three logos appear to be the same. It changed from True Blue (#0065CE) to a darker Cobalt Blue (#004EA4), and then the inscription turned Medium Persian Blue (#0067A5).