exxon by loewy

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Use of the Esso trademark was restricted in the United States, so Standard Oil of New Jersey (Jersey Standard) hired renowned industrial designer Raymond Loewy (1893-1986) to create a new name and logo for the brand.
According to designboom, Loewy “proposed ‘exxon’ and came up with seventy-six rough pencil sketches based on the word, placing the visual emphasis on the double ‘x.’ The two x’s subliminally recalled the ‘s’s’ in Esso and thus helped ease the transition from the old name to the new.”
The Library of Congress shared this look inside Loewy’s sketchbook.
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“The sheet shows the trials and rejections as Loewy created a new logo for Standard Oil Company. From the eighteen design ideas on the page, Loewy highlighted his final choice with an ‘okay.’”

The date says 1966, but the name wasn’t officially changed to Exxon until 1972. Catch the full logo history on the ExxonMobile website.  Loewy also designed the 1971 Shell logo, still in use today.  In recent news, ExxonMobil is suing FX Networks over a new interlocking XX logo.

[via Logo Design Love]

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Tom Foerstel : Founder & President

Tom Foerstel

Founder & President

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 60’s, Tom developed a strong desire to create positive change for people and planet.

He went on to pursue his passion for art and design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and worked for design firms in Southern California before moving to Boise, Idaho in the early 80’s. Foerstel Design opened its doors in 1985. Since its inception, the firm has cultivated a bold, happy, forward-looking team focussed on creating distinct and effective work on behalf of their clients.

An integral part of Tom’s philosophy is giving back to the community in which he lives — a company cornerstone that drives Foerstel’s long history of providing pro-bono services to local non-profit humanitarian and arts programs.

One of Tom’s proudest personal achievements is his ability to say Supercalifragilisticexpyalidocious backwards.