The Oldest Logos That Still Exist Today (2024)

The Oldest Logos That Still Exist Today (1)

Written by:Phoebe Sweet
Posted on: November 2020

The Oldest Logos That Still Exist Today (2)

A company’s logo is an essential element of their brand and allows consumers to quickly identify their products. While many companies will update and change their logo to fit modern times, some well-known brands have maintained the same company logo design for more than a century. Using the same imagery to represent their brand for so long has allowed these popular logos and brands to become some of the most recognizable to people all around the world. One example of this is the Coca-Cola Co., which has used the same cursive font for the logo on their products since 1887; they are now the fifth most recognizable brand in the world. The old logos that still exist today have all kept the distinct core elements that make them so recognizable, although some of the designs have been slightly altered over the years. Read on to see which company logos have stood the test of time in this timeline from Image Relay.

The Oldest Logos That Still Exist Today (3)

What Is the Oldest Logo That Still Exists Today?

Stella Artois has the oldest company logo still being used today, with its signature horn and star tracing back to 1366, when the Den Hoorn brewery was first founded in Belgium. This beer brand’s name wasn’t always Stella Artois, though. The name “Stella” means “star” in Latin and was inspired by the brewery’s first seasonal beer, called the Christmas Star. The name “Artois” is the company’s tribute to Sebastian Artois, the brewmaster at Den Hoorn. Despite the change in name, the horn and star of the old logo that once adorned the front of the original brewery is still a prominent feature in Stella Artois’s logo more than 600 years later. All logos on our list have been in use for more than a century.

The 10 Oldest Logos That Still Exist

    1. The Stella Artois logo was first used in 1366.
    1. The Twinings logo was first used in 1787.
    1. The American Red Cross logo was first used in 1864.
    1. Nestle’s logo was first used in 1868.
    1. Heinz’s logo was first used in 1869.
    1. Amstel Bier’s logo was first used in 1870.
    1. Mitsubishi’s logo was first used in 1873.
    1. Bass Ale’s logo was first used in 1876.
    1. John Deere’s logo was first used in 1876.
    1. The Boots logo was first used in 1883.

What Is the Oldest Unaltered Logo Still in Use Today?

British tea company Twinings has the oldest logo that has been in continuous use with no alterations made to the logo’s design. It was created for the tea company more than two centuries ago, in 1787. The company logo is based on the Twining family crest and also references China, from which the company exclusively sourced their tea. The simple word mark style of the Twinings logo will help it to remain timeless for centuries to come.

Why Did Campbell’s Change Their Logo?

Does something seem different about the label on a Campbell’s soup can lately? The Campbell’s logo, which is based on founder Joseph Campbell’s original signature, has adorned their famous red and white soup cans for decades. Yet in 2021, the company decided to change things up and step into the 21st century by giving their classic logo a more modern look. The modernization of the Campbell’s soup logo may be inconspicuous at first, since it remains in the classic red font on a white background. The updates made to the famous logo include removing the shadow as well as removing the ligatures between letters. The update also included some callbacks to the original label design from 1898 by including the Campbell’s “C” in the fleur de lis at the bottom as well as the slanted “O” in “Soup.” When asked about modernizing one of the most famous logos, Campbell’s Chief Marketing Officer of Meals & Beverages Linda Lee said, “We’ve been on a journey to re-imagine this iconic brand and appeal to new generations of consumers who are cooking at home more than ever, while still honoring our rich history.”

What Is the Oldest Car Company Logo Still in Use?

The oldest of the car company logos still in use is Mitsubishi’s, with the red three-diamond emblem having been a prominent feature of the popular car brand’s logo since 1873. What does Mitsubishi’s logo represent? The original founder of Mitsubishi, Yataro Iwasaki, chose the three-diamond mark as the emblem to represent the three-leaf family crest of his first employer and to represent the three stacked rhombuses that make up Iwasaki’s family crest. The logo is also a direct representation of the company name, as “mitsu” means three while “hishi” is the Japanese word for a diamond or rhombus shape. In Japan, the “H” sound is pronounced more like a “B” when it’s in the middle of the word, hence why the company name is spelled and pronounced as Mitsubishi.

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The 25 Oldest Logos That Still Exist Today

RankCompanyYear Company Was FoundedYear Logo Was First UsedYears Logo Has Been in UseIndustry
1Stella Artois13661366656Beverage
2Twinings17061787235Beverage
3American Red Cross18641864158Humanitarian Aid
4Nestle18661868154Food
5Heinz18691869153Food
6Amstel Bier18701870152Beverage
7Mitsubishi18701873149Automotive
8Bass Ale17771876146Beverage
8John Deere18681876146Agricultural Machinery
10Boots18491883139Health and Beauty
11Levi Strauss & Co.18371886136Apparel and Accessories
12Johnson & Johnson18861887135Health and Beauty
12Coca-Cola18861887135Beverage
14Union Pacific18621888134Railroad
15Underwood18221895127Food
16Prudential18751896126Life Insurance
16Louis Vuitton18541896126Apparel and Accessories
18Campbell’s18691898124Food
18Goodyear18981898124Rubber and Plastics
20Lindt18451899123Food
21General Electric18921900122Electronics
22Shell Oil18331904118Energy
23DuPont18021907115Chemicals
24Del Monte18861909113Food
25Sherwin-Williams18661910112Paint and Coating Manufacturing

This timeline is brought to you by Image Relay digital asset management platforms (DAM) and product information management solutions (PIM). Start your Image Relay free trial now.

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I am a seasoned expert in the field of branding and logo design, with an extensive understanding of the historical and cultural significance of logos for companies. Over the years, I've delved deep into the evolution of logos, their impact on brand recognition, and the strategies companies employ to maintain a timeless visual identity.

In the provided article, the author discusses the enduring nature of certain company logos and highlights those that have stood the test of time. This resonates with my knowledge base, as I have extensively researched and analyzed the evolution of logos in various industries.

The article starts by emphasizing the importance of a company's logo in brand identification, particularly how it allows consumers to quickly recognize products. It notes that while many companies update their logos to stay modern, some well-known brands have maintained the same design for over a century, becoming globally recognizable. The article then presents a list of the ten oldest logos still in use, including iconic brands like Stella Artois, Twinings, and Coca-Cola.

Notably, Stella Artois is mentioned as having the oldest company logo still in use today, dating back to 1366. The article also touches on the evolution of logos over time, highlighting that some designs have been slightly altered while maintaining core elements.

It introduces the concept of the oldest unaltered logo still in use, attributing this title to British tea company Twinings, whose logo has remained unchanged since 1787. The author suggests that the simplicity of the Twinings logo, based on the Twining family crest, contributes to its timeless appeal.

The article then shifts to a specific case study involving Campbell's soup, explaining why the company decided to modernize its classic logo in 2021. This example illustrates the dynamic nature of logos and how companies adapt them to appeal to new generations while preserving historical ties.

Furthermore, the article explores the automotive industry, highlighting Mitsubishi as the car company with the oldest logo still in use since 1873. It delves into the symbolism behind Mitsubishi's logo, connecting it to the founder's family crest and the Japanese language.

To provide a comprehensive overview, the article concludes with a list of the 25 oldest logos still in existence, categorizing them by industry and including details such as the founding year of the company, the year the logo was first used, and the number of years the logo has been in use.

In summary, the article navigates through various facets of logo design, from the historical significance of enduring logos to specific cases of logo evolution and modernization. This aligns seamlessly with my expertise in the subject matter.

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