Exxon Mobil Corporation Logo PNG
It is immediately striking that the Exxon Mobil Corporation logos from different years are almost identical, despite the differences in periods. It is red and austere, with the originally placed “X,” of which there are two in the name. And the designers used both glyphs to create a high-dynamic emblem.
ExxonMobil traces its roots to 1870, when John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil in Cleveland, Ohio. By the late 1880s, Standard Oil controlled about 90 percent of US refining capacity through acquisitions, railway rebates, pipelines, and refineries. On 2 January 1882, 41 shareholders created the Standard Oil Trust, placing securities of 40 companies under nine trustees led by Rockefeller.
Two parts of that trust later became ExxonMobil’s core predecessors: Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, later Exxon, and Standard Oil Company of New York, later Mobil. Ida Tarbell’s 1904 investigation and federal pressure weakened the trust. In 1911, the US Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and ordered it split into 39 companies.
Jersey Standard expanded for decades under the Esso name. In 1946, it bought a 30 percent stake in Arabian American Oil Company, gaining access to Saudi oil reserves. In 1972, Standard Oil of New Jersey became Exxon Corporation. On 1 January 1973, Humble Oil became Exxon Company USA. The oil crises of 1973 and 1979 pushed Exxon’s revenue above $100 billion by 1980.
On 24 March 1989, Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, spilling over 11 million gallons of crude oil. Exxon later spent $2.5 billion on cleanup and faced years of litigation. In 1990, the company moved its headquarters to Irving, Texas. On 1 December 1998, Exxon and Mobil announced a merger. After antitrust reviews, the deal closed on 30 November 1999, forming ExxonMobil.
Meaning and History
The history of Exxon is long and rich, dating back to the 19th century and associated with one of the world’s richest men, John D. Rockefeller. The Standard Oil Trust was the beginning of an influential corporation. At one time, it was reorganized and split into two companies, which became the forerunners of Exxon and Mobil, which later merged.
After the name “Exxon” was officially adopted, the brand received a new visual identity. This happened in 1972. Raymond Loewy, a well-known industrial designer, worked on it. He proposed a double “X,” playing it off in dozens of variations, only one of which was adopted. According to Designboom magazine, 76 pencil sketches of the future logo were created. And each specifically highlighted a double glyph.
Users see it as similar to many real and even iconic elements. Some, for example, considered the Lorraine Cross, the Templars’ symbol, in the interlocking sign. In their opinion, the designer and the trademark owners were Freemasons. Others speculate that the duplicated “X” represents the scale of the car’s gas meter and that the emblem sends a subliminal signal to drivers that they have run out of fuel (XX is empty). In any case, nearly six years have passed between the first sketch and the final approved version offered to the public.
What is Exxon Mobil Corporation?
Exxon is an American oil and gas corporation founded on the Standard Oil company, which the Rockefeller family started. It is headquartered in Irving, but in 2023 it will move to Spring, Texas. The company’s current name is ExxonMobil; it took the name in 1999 after merging with Mobil.
1972 – 1985
The Exxon logo was immediately textual, with the letters acting as graphic elements. The designer used the double symbol as a basis and played with it in an interesting way by connecting the two glyphs with a single leg. The result is the element “XX,” reminiscent of the modern grid “#,” positioned with a slight slope and with an elongated right side. The rest of the letters are usual: plain and smooth, with sharp extensions at the ends that replace the serifs. Below the name is a blue stripe. The thick line and the inscription are taken in thin rectangular frames with rounded corners. This makes the emblem look like a business card.
1985 – 2016
After the redesign, the color of the inscription in the logo has changed: previously, it was bright scarlet; now it is closer to crimson red. Another modernization touched the frame, where the developer straightened the corners, giving it a perfectly rectangular shape. The wide blue stripe at the bottom was aligned accordingly.
2016 – today
The current emblem is a complete replica of the 2014 sign. The oil and gas company adopted it to match ExxonMobil’s overall logo for professional equipment (pumps and canopies). The main elements on the badge are the red name and blue stripe. The border is gone. In addition, the designers changed the font, making it simpler, more businesslike, and flatter. The letters are converted to lowercase, except for the first one.
Font and Colors
The modern visual identity of this brand is based on the Esso logo, the original fuel brand of Standard Oil, Exxon’s predecessor. Its name also has a double consonant, which is used in its personal symbolism. The color palette and emblem structure are identical, but only in the first case; the inscription is in a circle, whereas in the second, it is in a rectangle.
The lettering used in the Exxon identity is custom-made because it is a key element of the logo. The closest font it resembles is the ITC Avant Garde Gothic Std Bold. The corporate palette of the oil and gas company is very bright, expressive, and dynamic. It consists of two colors: red and blue, arranged on a neutral white background.