Imperial Logo PNG
The Imperial Brands logo reflects the company’s diversity, as it owns several brands whose products it is proud of. At the same time, it’s a simple emblem that consumers can clearly understand. It demonstrates reliability, customer orientation, and high professionalism.
Imperial Brands traces its origins to late 1901, when James Buchanan Duke and his American Tobacco Company tried to enter the British market. After buying Ogden’s and approaching firms such as John Player & Sons, British producers responded by joining forces. On December 10, 1901, thirteen companies formed The Imperial Tobacco Company of Great Britain and Ireland. W.D. & H.O. Wills, John Player & Sons, Stephen Mitchell & Son, and Lambert & Butler were among its members.
In 1902, Imperial Tobacco and American Tobacco agreed to avoid each other’s home markets. They created British American Tobacco for global trade. During World War I, Imperial’s cigarette brands, especially Woodbine, became widely used by soldiers. In 1918, the company began producing cigarette paper, and in the 1920s it expanded processing operations in Africa and built a commercial structure in Canada.
The company diversified in the decades after the war. It acquired Golden Wonder Crisps in 1961 and Courage, Barclay & Simonds in 1972. In 1973, it became Imperial Group, with tobacco placed under Imperial Tobacco Limited. Hanson Trust bought Imperial Group in 1986 for £2.5 billion, sold its non-tobacco assets, and, in 1996, returned Imperial to the London Stock Exchange as Imperial Tobacco Group PLC.
From 1997, Imperial grew through acquisitions, buying Rizla, Douwe Egberts Van Nelle’s tobacco business, Reemtsma, Commonwealth Brands, and Altadis. The 2008 Altadis deal added Gauloises Blondes, Gitanes, Fortuna, Habanos SA, and Logista. Major rivals included British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International. In 2016, the company became Imperial Brands PLC, and in 2020 it sold its cigar business for $1.3 billion.
Meaning and History
The company’s history began with the merger of several tobacco firms into a large, competitive structure. The company has remained that way throughout its history, as its main strategic principle is absorption. Of course, difficulties arose immediately in defining its visual identity, as large brands drew attention to themselves and overshadowed smaller ones. However, the problem was solved radically: the new player in the tobacco market abandoned everything old and focused on individual identity.
As a result, a general emblem was created that represented all the trademarks at once. The basis was two rectangles resembling cigarettes, rolling papers, and cigars. After Imperial Tobacco rebranded as Imperial Brands, the logo took a sharp turn, adopting a radically different look as the manufacturer’s concept shifted slightly. The company chose to show its centripetal approach with the simplest signs.
What is Imperial?
Imperial is the shortened name for the British company Imperial Brands, formerly known as Imperial Tobacco. It combines several trademarks involved in producing tobacco products and ranks fourth globally in cigarette production volume. It owns 51 factories and sells its products in more than 160 countries. The headquarters are in Bristol. Its foundation date is 1901.
1901 – 2016
The Imperial logo features two vertical stripes with a slight rightward tilt. The bold lines have miniature points at the round ends and resemble cigars. The narrow gap between them makes the white stripe look incredibly thin. Above is another wavy line resembling cigarette smoke.
This “structure” is nothing more than an abbreviation of the tobacco company Imperial Tobacco: “I” precedes “T,” which is capitalized. Both letters look identical and are colored burgundy. To the right is a two-level text in a chiseled font aligned on the left edge.
2016 – today
The Imperial Brands emblem consists of simple geometric shapes, demonstrating two factors:
- customer orientation (the entire range of tobacco products meets the preferences of each buyer and is aimed at their requirements);
- multi-branding (the parent company owns many trademarks that produce cigarettes, cigars, rolling papers, snuff, and more).
This concept is conveyed by orange arrows directed towards the center, composed of short lines. Moreover, no tip is pointed; all ends are blunt and smooth. A black circle sits in the middle, and the company’s new name appears to the right. It is set in gray, with two shades: the upper line is thin and light, and the lower line is bold and dark. The letters are chiseled, with a slightly rounded shape.
Font and Colors
Each row in the Imperial Brands logo has its own style of writing:
- The first part of the name (top line) is set in a font reminiscent of Halcom Book by The Northern Block or Yorkten Extended Light by Insigne Design Studio.
- The word in the bottom row is typed in a typeface resembling Akzentica 4F Bold from 4th February, Texta Narrow Heavy from Latinotype, or Prelo Bold from DSType agency.
The corporate palette includes burgundy, orange, black, and gray. White is used as a background.
