Our band's history and evolution
Our band's history and evolution
From a lubricant brand to a global company
From a lubricant brand to a global company
Repsol's identity has evolved throughout the years. What started off as a successful product brand later transformed into a global company with a name that is known all over the world.
Repsol is born as a leading lubricants brand in Spain
Repsol is born as a leading lubricants brand in Spain
The history behind our brand began to take shape in 1951 when the company Repesa launched a new range of lubricants called Repsol, which soon became one of the most popular brands in Spain. The first brushstrokes of our logo recreated the Repsol “R” and led to the brand being quickly recognized, accepted, and preferred by consumers.
Our involvement in the motorcycling World Championship also played a role in enabling us to consolidate our status as the top brand name in Spain. At the time, this type of elite competition was already being used as testing grounds by the sector’s large multinational companies. With Ángel Nieto at the forefront, Spain took the world of motorcycling by storm, helping Repsol to become a household name.
Encompassing clarity and differentiation within a single visual identity
Repsol became a company in 1987, with a focus on oil and gas exploration, production, transportation, and refining. After this milestone, the time came for us to create a clearer identity that would stand out and stick in people’s minds. At the time our company was born, the market was characterized by the supply of generic products, where quality did not influence choice, prices were set without brand differentiation, and points of sale were scarce.
The task of designing the new Repsol brand was entrusted to Wolff Olins, the prestigious consultancy dedicated to creating brands with a high level of positive social impact. Olins had the difficult job of incorporating the Group’s various businesses into one brand.
In 1997, after almost a decade with the same visual brand, changes in the market convinced us it was time to evolve. The new brand aimed to achieve a more current graphic concept – one that maintained our positioning while showcasing our diversity.
The most recognizable elements of the previous logo were retained, although several changes were made: the moon disappeared and the horizon line was shortened. All the lines were given a clearer and more geometric finish than in the former logo. The end product therefore maintained the essence of the Repsol brand, but with a sleeker logo and an added sense of modernity that would bring the company into the future.
Uniting two brands under the same visual identity
Uniting two brands under the same visual identity
In 1999, we acquired the Argentinian oil company YPF, gaining better positioning and leverage as a global company. Once again, the brand would play a role in the integration of two large companies uniting to combine forces under a shared emblem. This was achieved with the fusion of both companies’ logos, maintaining certain graphic elements of each one but turning them into a single symbol.
More recently, our visual identity evolved a step further in 2012. We refreshed our brand to give it a more vibrant and modern feel. Strengthening our brand identity has also served to renew our vision for the future, conveying our corporate values of transparency, teamwork, and responsibility in contributing to the energy supply of tomorrow.
In short, today Repsol boasts a strong, responsible, and people-oriented visual identity. Our brand conveys honest communication adapted to the environment and reveals our firm commitment to the future while not forgetting our roots.
