A shell as a company emblem
Shell’s emblem is known as the pecten, after the scallop shell on which it is based. Raymond Loewy designed its 1971 revision. The familiar red-and-yellow mark connects a simplified shell form with the company’s name.
A revision with a longer history
The name has roots in the Samuel family’s earlier seashell import business. Loewy’s contribution belongs to a longer sequence of emblem designs, so the revision should be distinguished from the origin of the shell association itself.
What to compare
Compare versions of the emblem and examine how contour, internal divisions and colour organize recognition. Then view the shape without the company name. This offers a specific question about a pictorial identity: how much of its recognition comes from the drawing, and how much from repeated encounters with the brand? Keeping those factors separate avoids turning familiarity into a complete explanation of the design.