Alcoa, the global aluminum producer formally known as the Aluminum Company of America, has used a geometric triangular mark since the mid-1950s. The current identity descends from a 1963 logotype by designer Saul Bass, later refined in 1999 and again in 2016.
Design and History
Alcoa’s first modern triangular emblem was designed in the mid-1950s by Harley Earl Associates of Detroit. That mark paired two equilateral triangles with a small version of the company’s older shield symbol, all enclosed in a rectangle with rounded corners.[1]
In 1963, the company celebrated its 75th anniversary with a new logotype designed by Saul Bass.[1] Bass’s mark used triangles to form a stylized letter “A,” with the old shield embedded inside it.[1] The symbol was unveiled in January 1963.[2] Bass also designed an entire typeface based on the logotype.[2] The 1963 mark replaced an earlier blue-circle emblem with white stars and red stripes that had identified Alcoa ships for more than 125 years.[3]
In January 1999, the company formally changed its name from Aluminum Company of America to Alcoa Inc.[4] That same year, New York designer Arnold Saks modernized the classic Bass trademark as part of a new corporate identity program.[1] The 1999 update changed the background of the symbol from a rectangle to a square.[5]
In March 2016, Alcoa announced it would separate into two companies. The upstream company retained the Alcoa name, while the value-add business became Arconic.[6] Alongside that announcement, Alcoa unveiled a fresh iteration of its mark for the upstream company, with the symbol removed from its enclosure.[7] The company described the new mark as representing a transformed and agile upstream company characterized by out-of-the-box thinking.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
Alcoa’s official description of the 2016 mark states that its bold, geometric capital “A” with a sharp apex signifies an upward trajectory and the constant pursuit of stronger performance.[7] The company also stated that the new logo would remain “Alcoa blue,” reflecting the strong foundation upon which the company is built.[7]
For the 1963 Bass mark, Alcoa president Lawrence Litchfield Jr. characterized the new symbol as “an expression of forward-looking excellence.”[2]
Typography and Design
The 1963 Bass identity combined the graphic symbol with the company name set in a specially designed typeface known as the Alcoa Alphabet.[2] The current Alcoa visual identity system, documented in the company’s brand guidelines, references “Alcoa Angles” as a grid system for aligning the brand mark symbol with the wordmark.[8]
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