Alcoa Logo History

A century of Alcoa signatures

1894
Our first corporate mark appeared in 1894, when Alcoa was still known as The Pittsburgh Reduction Company. The original mark — a cross over a circle, along with the company's initials and the word "aluminum" — was used for 35 years, with only slight modification.


1910
In 1907, The Pittsburgh Reduction Company was renamed Aluminum Company of America. In 1910, the company built a dam in the Great Smoky Mountains and established a town in East Tennessee, named Alcoa, to house workers.


1929
By 1929, the short form "Alcoa" had caught on. A new trademark took the shape of a Norman shield and the Alcoa name.








1955
In 1955, Harley Earl Associates of Detroit designed a bold new rectangular mark. The shield remained, though reduced in size, and two equilateral triangles dominated the symbol.


1963
Renowned designer Saul Bass created this signature in 1963. It combines a graphic symbol and our name, set in a specially designed typeface known as the Alcoa Alphabet.


1999
Alcoa changed its corporate name in January 1999 from Aluminum Company of America to Alcoa Inc. to reflect the global scope of the company and its diverse workforce. This formalized the use of the name, which has been in popular use around the world since 1929. New York designer Arnold Saks modernized the classic trademark, originally designed by Saul Bass, to reflect the character and style that is taking the company into the 21st century.


Reference:http://www.alcoa.com/global/en/about_alcoa/trademark_history.asp