The six-horse stagecoach has been the enduring symbol of Wells Fargo, one of the most known international banking and financial services holding companies in the US. Although currently the primary Wells Fargo logo is the wordmark on the red background, the stagecoach is still widely used.
What is the symbol of Wells Fargo &Company?
The symbol of Wells Fargo & Company is an equestrian stagecoach with six horses, which has been with the company since the middle of the 19th century. Stagecoach is something that was used for transportation and delivery in the period when the railways has not been invented yet. Thus it was a symbol of reliability and speed.
The Wells Fargo logo can not be imagined without its iconic stagecoach and six horses, the ambled, which was first introduced in 1852 and stays with the financial structure today, just in a bit more modern execution. The company didn’t have many redesigns of its logo throughout history, but each of the two reflected huge progress and development of the American financial organization.
The original version of the Wells Fargo logo boasted a monochrome image of a six-horses prairie wagon, which was very common in the American Wild West. The emblem was very detailed and professionally executed, and had a wordmark placed under it, separated by a thin black horizontal line.
The Wells Fargo nameplate in all capitals was written in a bold serif typeface, which looked sleek and confident, having each of its letters solid and strong.
The need for the new logo appeared in 2009, after the Wells Fargo merger with Wachovia. There were two emblems created for the company, and they could be used together or separately. The first part comprised a solid dark red square with yellow lettering set on two levels. The inscription was executed in a traditional and stylish serif typeface with its serifs enlarged.
As for the second part, it was a colorful and ornate image depicting an iconic stagecoach and horses. The emblem was complemented by a “Together we’ll go far” motto of the company. It was written in red, above the horses.
The current version of the Wells Fargo logo was designed in 2018 and almost repeats the previous one, just has its logotype in white and its letter lines thicker. As for the graphical part of the visual identity, the iconic symbol is now drawn in yellow, without extra details, and the slogan was also removed, to make the logo more laconic and stylish.
Taking into consideration the part the stagecoach played in the company’s business historically, it was only natural to build the logo around this symbol. The current corporate logo is the painting created by classical illustrator John Rush. It can be given either in full color, or in black and white. To make a strong brand statement, stagecoach photography can be used.
Although the historical emblem is meaningful and distinctive, it looks a bit dated in the modern world of minimalistic, sleek logos. To make things worse, it is difficult to deal with in both print and digital media.
So, in 2008, the company adopted a simpler logotype based on its two-lined wordmark. The name of the company in yellow is placed in a red square.
When the square logo was introduced, it caused a huge uproar in the industry, as red and yellow were not seen as appropriate for a financial institution – they were too lively and bright. In the cause of time, though, everyone got used to the combination.
The clear serif typeface featured on the Wells Fargo logo belongs to the font family called Arsher. Arsher is a combination of two font styles: Antiques and Geometrics.
In the official brand guidelines, Wells Fargo mentions the two-color (yellow and red) logo as the preferred option. Here, the lettering is yellow (close to hex: #FFFF00), while the background is red (close to hex: #CD1309).
Did Wells Fargo change their logo?
Wells Fargo has had three logos designed throughout the years, with the latest change held in 2019, when the yellow uppercase lettering in a classy serif font was switched to a white one. The new color palette, composed of red and white, looks more powerful and professional, evoking a sense of confidence and strength.
Is Wells Fargo a bank?
Wells Fargo is a financial service provider from the United States, which has banking as one of its main directions. The company operates internationally, serving more than 70 million people from different countries, and helping them with all kinds of banking services.
What services are offered at Wells Fargo?
Wells Fargo is a company, which offers such services as private, corporate, and investment banking, assets management, mortgages, trading, credit cards, mutual funds, risk and wealth management, and many more.