The link between supply and demand
Benno Wissing's 1965 logo for Dutch oil, gas and petrol brand PAM.
The expansion of Dutch company Steenkolen Handelsvereeniging (Coal Trading Company) into oil and gas in the 1960s lead to a re-evaluation of its name as it was no longer involved exclusively in coal. In 1963, to reflect its diversification the corporation formally changed its name to the common abbreviation SHV.
The newly established Total Design was hired to develop a visual identity to coincide with and support the name change. Under the direction of partner Benno Wissing, a red right-angled triangle was conceived. This was based on an element from the coat of arms of Utrecht symbolising the coat Saint Martin, the city’s patron, cut in half to share with the poor. This abstract logo would later be developed into a second logo for SHV’s heating company Warmtecentrum, which featured the triangle in a 2x2 arrangement.