Kamekura's Shell
Yusaku Kamekura's 1963 unused logo proposal for Shell.
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The following is a first-hand account of renowned Japanese designer Yusaku Kamekura’s (Fuji Bank, Expo ‘75) experience developing a design policy proposal for British oil giant Shell. Kamekura writes of his experience in Issue 44 of ‘Graphic Design’ which was published in the winter of 1971.
Shell’s red and yellow ‘Pecten’ symbol had been in use since 1900. This had been revised a number of times with subtle abstractions made along the way. Although this had become internationally recognised, and having just undergone a redesign in 1961, it was felt that the logo was perceived as dated and two versions, one for marketing and another for ‘institutional’ purposes, had added to the work required to maintain the corporate identity. Four designers were given the task of modernising Shell’s image, with the proposal put forward by French designer Raymond Loewy of C.E.I. being rolled out in 1972.
It was in 1963 or the year before that I received a letter from the main office of Shell Oil Co. in London. The letter said that Shell wished to adopt a new design policy looking ten years ahead. It asked me to participate in the international competition for the new design policy and said that designers had been selected from the United States (Raymond Lowey), Britain, Switzerland (Karl Gerstner) and Japan (Yusaku Kamekura). At that time, the British designer had not yet been selected.
I sent a letter of acceptance, and Shell Oil promptly sent me a detailed list of the requirements and conditions. First of all, the Shell mark was to be changed, but the shell had to be used. The Shell logotype was also to be replaced. With this logotype as the base, a complete Shell type alphabet, including both capital and small letters as well as numbers and symbols, was to be designed. Gasoline stands, lighted Shell poles and Shell signs had to be designed, as well as signs for high-speed highways (these had to be readable at speeds of over 120 kilometers per hour) to indicate the position of Shell gasoline stands. Designs also had to be submitted for railway gasoline tank cars, gasoline trucks and gasoline tanks with Shell letters which could be seen from 1,000 meters away on the sea. There were many other details, but in the end the instructions said that the Shell colors red and yellow must not be changed.
I was surprised at the vastness of the project. Shell Oil already had a design policy, and I felt that it was impossible to redo everything from the very basis. I worried that I could only revise the current policy. In short, the existing design policy is not a bad one at all. Was there need to go to the trouble of revising it? At that point, frankly, I was unable to understand the thinking of the Shell Oil officials who wanted to change the policy with ten years ahead in mind. However, as I started working on the project, I gradually and naturally began to understand the greatness of the Shell Oil directors who were thinking ten years into the future. Their thinking is basically different from that of Japanese business leaders. Shell Oil directors place great importance on the image of the scale of the company itself. They are vastly different from the Japanese businessmen who calculate only the immediate profits.
At any rate, I finished the project after a month and a half of very hard work. I had everything printed by the silk screen process and speedily sent it to London in time for the directors meeting. Hoping to hold an exhibition on the designs worked out for the Shell project, I contacted Shell Oil, but Shell Oil said that this was absolutely impossible since it infringed on company secrets. Eight years have passed since then, and Shell Oil has not contacted me.
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