BP Logo

BP Logo PNG

The world’s largest oil and gas producer, British Petroleum, changed its identity after changing its name in 2001. The BP logo now represents Helios, after the god of Greek mythology, which symbolizes the energy of all kinds and the breadth of products.

Meaning and History

At first, the firm was called Anglo-Persian Oil Company, as it focused on oil and gas production in the Persian region. Moreover, it was part of the structure of the Burmah Oil Company, which is its subsidiary. Now it is a large-scale corporation, covering 70 countries with professional attention. Its emblem has evolved from a simple monochrome abbreviation to complex color graphics.

What is BP?

BP is one of the seven largest oil and gas companies globally, which belongs to the so-called “supermajors.” In addition to the extraction and processing of fossil fuels, it is engaged in the production of fuels and lubricants and also develops projects in the field of renewable energy sources. The organization received its current name in 2001, using the initials “British Petroleum.”

1909 – 1920

The BP oil and gas company originated in 1909 as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. Its first product was BP Motor Spirit gasoline, sold in Britain in the 1920s. The ad featured the brand name split into three lines and centered. At the top were the letters “B.P.” is short for British Petroleum. The middle row was occupied by the word “MOTOR” with an “M” stretched down, and below it was “SPIRIT” with an enlarged “S.” The lettering used bold sans serif similar to a combination of Fontfabric’s Code Pro Bold Caps and Sharkshock’s Königsberg Semi Bold. The black text has been placed inside a white square with rounded corners. A wide dark stripe ran along the edge of the base.

1920 – 1930

The official debut logo of the oil and gas production company appeared in 1920. Its centerpiece was an abbreviated version of its new name, British Petroleum. The letters “BP” have become the main and only detail of the brand name. They are enclosed in quotation marks, painted black, and positioned against a completely white background. The logo would not have had any personality if it weren’t for the unique glyphs with distinctive sharp serifs and diamond-shaped corners.

1930 – 1947

For the next 17 years, a unique corporate symbol prevailed, for which the designers placed the abbreviation “BP” on the heraldic shield. It has a black edge and the same black letters in the middle. The author of this variant is AR Saunders.

1947 – 1961

In 1947, the management decided to improve the logo and ordered a color version. As a result, the shield became colorful – muted green. A thin yellow stripe outlined it, and in the middle, there was the same inscription as before – “BP,” but without quotes and in color. To give volume to the letters, the artists used black shadows placed on the right.

1961 – 1989

At the beginning of this period, a group of designers started updating the logo. Renowned specialist Raymond Loewy led them. The shape and shape of the brand name remained the same; only the color was changed. The artists changed the green to green-blue, removed the edging from the shield, removed the shadows, and made the inscription a distinct yellow, close to a golden hue. The glyphs were also changed, but the serifs were not touched – they remained sharp and the same shape.

1989 – 2000

After almost 20 years of using the logo, the company again decided to redesign it, associated with a revision of the corporate image. This time she turned to Siegel & Gale for help. She offered a completely different option, corresponding to the progressive style.

As a result, green has become real green – a rich palette and yellow are turned into a sunny color. The shield was thickened at the bottom and devoid of sharp protrusions at the top. The letters got italicized with a slight slope to the right.

2000 – today

British Petroleum has unveiled a new emblem in response to the press’s backlash about unsatisfactory safety standards. The idea of ​​sunshine is realized in it as accurately as possible since the graphic “flower” resembles the sun, which is why it got the name Helios.

The year 2000 was a turning point for the logo because it left the outdated standard. Landor Associates’ progressive development truly symbolizes the radiant energy of the heavenly body. On the right side of the graphic is the lowercase “bp,” derived from the company’s new name, Beyond Petroleum.

Font and Colors

For the first hundred years, the oil and gas company used symbols built on the BP abbreviation inside the knight’s shield. The arrival of the 21st century radically changed the emblem, shifting the emphasis to graphics.

In the old versions, the textual part was paramount, so great importance was given to it. The caps had serifs and wide hem, emphasizing the company’s sustainability and strength. On the new logo, the font is modern and more stylish – smooth, rounded, sans serif, with a well-played “mirror-like” writing of lowercase “bp.”

As for color, the entire evolution of the emblem is a transformation of the palette. The original version is black and white. Then green and yellow of different shades appeared in it.

BP color codes