Shell uses a yellow-and-red scallop shell as its corporate logo.
The emblem is based on a seashell, reflecting the company’s early history in importing and selling decorative shells before it became a major energy business. Shell adopted a shell symbol in 1901, and the design gradually became more geometric and recognizable. The modern red-and-yellow version was introduced in 1971 and is associated with designer Raymond Loewy.
The logo is often called the Pecten, from the scientific name of scallop shells in the family Pectinidae. It is not a literal portrait of one particular shell species. Shell’s red and yellow colors also became strongly associated with the company through roadside service stations, tankers, and fuel packaging. A common mix-up is confusing Shell’s emblem with the unrelated scallop-shell imagery used by other organizations.