Shell Global You are in: Shell Global About us The Shell brand THE SHELL BRAND For more than 100 years the word Shell, our pecten emblem and distinctive red and yellow colours have visualised the Shell brand and promoted our values and the quality of our products and services all over the world. The word Shell first appeared in 1891, as the trademark for kerosene shipped to the Far East by Marcus Samuel and Company. This small London business dealt originally in antiques, curios and oriental seashells. These became so popular – the Victorians used them to decorate trinket boxes in particular – that soon they formed the basis of the company’s profitable import and export trade with the Far East. The word was elevated to corporate status in 1897, when Samuel formed the Shell Transport and Trading Company. The first logo in 1901 was a mussel shell, but by 1904 a scallop shell or pecten emblem had been introduced to give a visual representation of the corporate and brand name. When the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and Shell Transport and Trading merged in 1907, the latter’s brand name and symbol (Shell and the pecten) became the short-form name and emblem of the new Royal Dutch Shell Group. And so it has remained ever since. The form of the Shell emblem has changed gradually over the years in line with trends in graphic design. The current emblem was introduced in 1971. Thirty years on it stands the test of time as one of the world’s most recognised symbols. The Shell emblem from 1900 to the present Find out about our history The Sound of Shell Since the early 20th century Shell has used music in visual and audio communications, including collaborations with singers Bing Crosby and Sammy Davis Jr. Working with British film and TV soundtrack composer Tom Howe, in 2015 we introduced the “Sound of Shell”, a sonic signature that captures the values and energy of the Shell brand as a modern company innovating to help build a sustainable energy future. The result is a three-minute orchestral composition and a suite of more than 50 variations in different musical genres and styles. Each is based on a central melody that can be expressed in many styles, from hard-hitting electric guitars to Thai and Turkish adaptations. The shortest expression is a two-second mnemonic – or key melody – that, for example, accompanies the Pecten logo at the end of a Shell film. In time, we would like it to be instantly recognisable, like the Pecten itself. THE SOUND OF SHELL Listen to the sound of Shell Read the transcript Listen to the 2-second mnemonic Watch a short film about the making of the Sound of Shell The #makethefuture initiative With our #makethefuture initiative we ask people around the world a bold question: what if your ideas could help answer the world’s energy challenges? The goal of the initiative is to unlock people’s scientific ingenuity and creative spirit and inspire them to join our innovation-focused programmes – for example, Shell Ideas360 and Shell Eco-marathon for students, Shell LiveWIRE for young entrepreneurs, and Shell GameChanger for experienced innovators. Now, more than ever, the world needs more scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians to face the world’s energy challenges. Progress powered by footsteps The #makethefuture initiative focuses on innovations that drive human progress. The perfect example is Laurence Kemball-Cook, who brought a powerful idea to the Shell LiveWIRE programme: to refurbish a run-down community football pitch in Morro da Mineira, a favela in Rio de Janeiro. Beneath the surface we laid around 200 kinetic tiles, developed by Laurence. These tiles capture energy generated by the players’ movement and, combined with energy from solar panels, the locals now have a partially renewable source of electricity that helps power the pitch’s floodlights. Find out more about the #makethefuture initiative MORRO DA MINEIRA PROJECT Shell and Pelé Inspire future energy scientists with a soccer pitch Read the transcript MORE IN ABOUT US Who we are Learn about our business and people, and how we grew from a small shop in London nearly 200 years ago. What we do Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. Who we are What we do Our values Leadership Major projects Events Contact us YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN Make the future We believe the answers to tomorrow’s energy challenges lie in the power of people’s ingenuity, and that together we can #makethefuture today. Shell’s pioneering films See how award-winning documentaries made by Shell over the last 80 years have informed, entertained and tackled the challenges of the time. A little car that goes a long way Could ultra-efficient vehicles like the new Shell concept car help address some of the world’s urban transport challenges? Connect with us More about Shell Who we are What we do Our values Leadership Our major projects UK Modern Slavery Act The Shell brand Can we help? Job search for professionals Shell station locator Shell credit cards Social media Shell apps Shell Global Helpline Site information Accessibility Terms and conditions Privacy policy Cookie policy Fraud and scam alert Contact us