While the ConocoPhillips logo looks simple and unpretentious, the red shape above the wordmark adds a dynamic and creative touch, which makes it stand out among competitors.
Meaning and history
1930
Conoco Inc. used to be a rather well-known US oil company. It was established in 1875 under the name of the Continental Oil and Transportation Co.
Later, the assets of Continental Oil were acquired by Marland Oil Co. The company was renamed Continental Oil Co. and adopted the red bar-and-triangle logo previously used by Marland. This emblem appeared in the company’s ads and was used as the primary logo between 1930 and 1970.
1970
Conoco introduced a red capsule logo. Here, you could see the word “Conoco” in a bold sans inside an ellipsoid. The type was unique because the “n” looked exactly like a rotated “c.”
2002
In August 2002, Conoco Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Co. merged into a single company with a single brand identity. The company was named ConocoPhillips Co.
The centerpiece of the ConocoPhillips logo is the name of the company given in an austere sans. The majority of the letters are lowercase, while the “C” and “P” are capitalized. This approach helps to break the word down into two meaningful parts. The red shape above also helps to separate “Conoco” from “Philips” as one of its angles “shows” where the second part of the word starts.