TransCanada Corporation, now known as TC Energy, introduced a new visual identity in 2019 when the company rebranded from TransCanada to TC Energy. The name change was approved by shareholders at the company’s Annual and Special Meeting on May 3, 2019, and was intended to better reflect the scope of its operations as a North American energy infrastructure company.[1] The company announced its intention to change its name in January 2019, with CEO Russ Girling stating that the new name “articulates clearly the entirety of our business” including pipelines, power generation and energy storage operations.[2]
Design and History
The TC Energy logo consists of a full logo version and a standalone emblem. The emblem is composed of two components with an angled cut, a design element that the company’s brand guidelines describe as a visual shortcut to the brand in a modern way.[3] The full logo should be used in most instances to ensure brand recognition, while the emblem is reserved for smaller spaces where the full logo cannot be legible.[3]
The rebrand brought new colours, photographic styles, typography and whitespace goals, according to Josh Gamache, an in-house designer who worked on the transition at TC Energy.[4] The goal of the rebrand was to connect closer to the destination of the company’s products and to reflect that TC Energy is no longer just Canada.[4] The name change was driven by the company’s expansion beyond Canada into the United States and Mexico.[5]
TC Energy operates in three countries, Canada, the United States and Mexico, and uses language-specific logo variations for English, Spanish and French audiences.[3] The company’s brand guidelines state that the logo must always be presented in a single colour, with TCE Blue as the preferred version on light backgrounds, white for dark backgrounds or photos, and black for greyscale applications.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
According to TC Energy’s official brand guide, blue is described as “a sign of stability and reliability” that also projects “an image of security and a sense of orderly professionalism.” The vibrancy of TCE Blue is said to give the brand “a touch of modernity and newness that stands out and differentiates itself from the sea of sameness in the category.”[3] The brand guide notes that Pantone should be used in all instances where possible for colour reproduction.[3]
The angled cut found in the brand’s emblem is carried through into the company’s icon system, which uses the same angled cut in the rings that house icons to strengthen brand awareness.[3]
Typography and Design
TC Energy’s brand guidelines specify two primary typefaces. Praxis Next is described as “an open and inviting typeface family” with slightly rounded corners that has “a warm and welcoming feel that’s clean and modern,” used for headlines and body copy in Regular, Semibold and Bold weights.[3] The second typeface, PP Neue Machina, is described as “a powerful and meticulously crafted typeface inspired by the aesthetics of robotics and machines,” used in uppercase only in Medium, Semibold and Ultrabold weights.[3] For everyday use in applications such as Microsoft Office, the brand guide recommends Calibri as the closest Windows system font to Praxis Next.[3]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
