REI Logo PNG
The REI logo represents what the company does: outdoor and sporting goods. It inspires new achievements and victories and motivates them to go to the forest or conquer a mountain peak. This emblem shows the spirit of a pioneer who can not sit still.
REI: Brand overview
Founded in 1938 in Seattle, Washington, REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) began when climbers Lloyd and Mary Anderson, facing difficulties finding affordable, high-quality gear, formed a cooperative to import European climbing equipment at reasonable prices. Initially volunteer-run from their home, REI quickly attracted outdoor enthusiasts, opening its first retail space in Seattle and steadily growing membership. Significant milestones included Jim Whittaker’s ascent of Everest, which boosted credibility and spurred national expansion, launching adventure travel programs and pioneering online retail with rei.com. Leadership under CEOs like Sally Jewell, Jerry Stritzke, Eric Artz, and Terry Vaughn guided the company through strategic digital transformations, sustainability initiatives, enhanced member benefits, and expansion into underserved regions. With over 20 million members and 180 retail locations today, REI maintains its cooperative values, emphasizing quality gear, outdoor advocacy, and community-focused service.
Meaning and History
The name REI stands for Recreational Equipment. This phrase reveals the essence of the company, which produces and sells sporting goods. Its logo is also associated with the theme of active pastime. For many years, it has contained an image of a mountain landscape against the background of a Christmas tree. The fact that the drawing is far from realistic makes using the emblem on tags and promotional materials easier.
What is REI?
REI is an abbreviation of Recreational Equipment, Inc. This is an American corporation specializing in goods for active recreation. It operates in the format of a consumer cooperative; that is, it belongs to its customers, who, after paying the membership fee, can buy products at reduced prices.
1960s – 1975
The original version of the REI logo stood out for its simplicity and bold expression. At the composition’s core is a stylized mountain range formed by broken lines that shape the peaks. A graphic representation of a spruce tree with angular contours, filled in solid black and resembling a hand-drawn sketch, is also present.
The company name is placed directly within the image, set in uppercase letters with a slight slant, creating a sense of movement.
All elements are arranged within an oval shape that visually unifies and completes the composition. Despite the simplicity of the graphics and the limited color palette, the logo appears fresh and modern, conveying the brand’s connection to nature and an active lifestyle.
1975 – 1982
The updated REI logo, introduced in 1975, brought a new stylistic approach that reflected the brand’s energy and momentum. The mountain graphic became more structured, with sharp geometric lines, while the spruce silhouette grew larger and more defined, enhancing the overall composition.
The brand name is set in a bold custom sans-serif typeface, with large characters featuring softened corners while retaining a strong, solid presence. The word “co-op” appears below in wider lettering, positioned compactly beneath the main name, reinforcing the cooperative spirit at the core of the company.
Overall, the logo conveys a sense of activity, strength, and connection to nature, presenting a cohesive and impactful visual identity.
1983 – 2015
From 1983 to 2015, the Recreational Equipment Company tried not to advertise it as a cooperative. Information about this was excluded from advertising materials and from the logo, which contained three capital letters: “R,” “E,” and “I.” To the left of the abbreviation was the silhouette of a Christmas tree, consisting of four triangles of different sizes superimposed on each other. A zigzag strip was drawn from above, imitating the outlines of mountain peaks on the horizon. The designers made all the elements black and used white for the background to achieve contrast.
2015 – today
After a redesign in October 2015, the REI logo featured the word “co-op.” That is, the company, for the first time in a long time, decided to remind people that it is a consumer cooperative. The new word is placed directly under the abbreviation, which has changed: the developers have increased the internal clearance of the letter “R” and rounded some corners. They also corrected the zigzag and made ascending lines narrow from the bottom. The Christmas tree has also become asymmetrical: the lower part is cut off on the left side.
Font and Colors
The abstract image of the forest and mountains hints at REI’s main field of activity: the sale of goods for active recreation. Since climbers created this company, which was intended for the same climbers, mountain peaks are an important part of its identity. Even the expansion of the assortment to attract new customers in the form of surfers, kayakers, runners, and other athletes did not affect the symbolism.
A custom geometric sans-serif typeface was created for the company name, featuring bold, substantial characters with slightly softened forms. The letters have pronounced outlines and a solid structure, while the rounded elements lend the inscription a friendly and approachable appearance.
The “co-op” line is styled differently: the letters are wider and lower, with a small diamond replacing the hyphen to visually separate the syllables. The characters are geometrically stretched, approaching square proportions, which gives the text a sense of stability and visual balance. A similar aesthetic appears in typefaces like Radio Space Bold and DBXLNightfever UltraWide, though the letterforms in the REI logo are more individualized and distinctive.
The brand’s color scheme is classic and subdued: black lettering and graphics create a strong contrast, reinforcing the minimalist design. This restrained palette has remained consistent since the earliest versions of the emblem.