The American brand Colgate is a household name in oral care products with a rich history dating back to 1806. Founded by a Baptist entrepreneur, William Colgate, the company used to manufacture soaps, candles, and starch initially. It was only in 1873 that toothpaste became part of the product line of the company. Today, the brand is associated with producing toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes, and oral accessories.
The logo of the company has been consistent with the use of a colour palette of red and white. Over the years, the only change in the logo has been in terms of its styling and typeface. This article explores the journey of the Colgate logo from its inception to the present day.
The Genesis of the Colgate Logo
The Early Years (1806–1906)
When William Colgate founded his starch, soap, and candle business in New York City in 1806, the concept of modern branding was still in its infancy. During this period, the company didn’t have a logo. Instead, it used simple typographic representations of its name on products and documents. These early typographic representations were primarily functional and focused on legibility rather than distinctive design elements.
The First Official Logo (1897 – 1948)
The first official logo of the company featured two white wordmarks in two levels against a red background. The top level had the enlarged wordmark “COLGATE,” while the below one had the words “RIBBON DENTAL CREAM” written in a smaller size. Both wordmarks were rendered in a custom sans-serif font with rounded contours.
The logo used to be depicted on all sides of the cardboard box containing the tube. Importantly, the white wordmark appeared quite stark against a red background and was easily visible on the store shelf. Besides, the logo evoked a sense of freshness, cleanliness, and radiance.
(1949 – 1963)
The original logo was persisted with for more than forty years, and it was redesigned only in the forties. Consequently, the redesigned logo had the second-level wordmark of the original logo replaced with “DENTAL CREAM with GARDOL.” This particular wordmark was executed in uppercase with the exception of “with,” which appeared in lowercase as well as in a smaller size compared to the other words. However, the wordmark in the first level, “COLGATE,” continued from the last iteration, with distinct and clear angles of the letters exuding confidence and protection.
(1963 – 1980)
In 1963, the logo was redesigned in a new style wherein the brand name “Colgate” appeared in a title case. Besides, it had elegant lines and was rendered using a custom sans-serif font. Also, on the right side of the brand name appeared a white wordmark “plus MFP” in two levels, set against a blue background and enclosed within a trapezoid-like horizontal geometric shape. One can say with certainty that this logo was the prototype of the logo we are familiar with today.
(1980 – 2001)
In 1980, the logo saw a new variant wherein the typeface was tweaked a little. The wordmark was rendered in an italicised sans-serif typeface, which, though similar in style to the earlier iteration, looked more elegant and professional. The bespoke typeface resembled Magistral Bold Italic and had the letter “C” appear more rounded. Further, the letter “t” did not have the full horizontal stroke, and both “g” and “a” had pointed angles. This particular logo iteration remained with the company for a better part of twenty years.
(2001 – 2004)
The logo was redesigned again in 2001, with the typeface made more streamlined and sophisticated. It showed better-visible curves and smoother lines. The typeface resembled Sanstone Heavy Italic with shortened lines. The transition of this logo from the earlier one was very organic, for the style and colour palette did not change. And the subtle change in the typeface was not stark enough to grab eyeballs.
(2004 – 2009)
With a view to adding volume and dynamics to the logo, a burgundy shadow was added to the white letters of the wordmark in 2004. This made the letters appear more robust and confident. Moreover, the typeface was tweaked a little without altering the corporate style.
(2009 – Present)
In the 2009 logo iteration, the edges of the wordmark “Colgate” had sharp peaks, and the individual letters appeared to be sleek. The two variants of the logo are in use today: the one with the shadow and the other with the flat one.
(2016 – 2018)
In 2016, the redesigned logo variant had the tail of the letter “g” curved and elongated to form a smile. Although this iteration did not gain much traction, it was persisted with and was replicated in 2018.
(2018 – Present)
The present logo combines the logo variants of 2009 and 2017. Here, the classic wordmark “Colgate” is featured with an open arched element underneath in white resembling a smile. Disjointed from the main wordmark, the smile added a friendly look to the logo and represented the essence of the brand. Incidentally, the typeface used in the logo is from FreeSet Studio.
The Elements of the Logo
Font
The Colgate logo uses a typeface that resembles several existing fonts. It most closely aligns with FreeSet Demi Bold Oblique and Vera Sans Bold Italic, where the latter is designed by Jim Lyles and distributed by Bitstream.
Colour
Right from its inception in 1873, the Colgate logo has predominantly featured a red and white colour scheme. Here, red is associated with energy and passion, while white symbolises cleanliness and purity. Both complement each other perfectly and reinforce the identity of Colgate as a popular oral hygiene brand.
The History of Colgate
Colgate is a prominent dental care brand that is part of the Colgate-Palmolive conglomerate. The roots of the company can be traced back to 1806, when William Colgate, a Baptist entrepreneur, established a business manufacturing soap, candles, and starch. However, the brand got into the oral care business much later, in 1873, under the leadership of Samuel Colgate, the founder’s son.
In 1873, Samuel introduced a hygiene product with the Colgate name, which marked the foray of the company into the dental care market. Interestingly, during this era, Colgate toothpaste used to be packaged and sold in jars.
Thereafter, a significant innovation in packaging came from dentist Washington Sheffield, who invented the collapsible tube. And building on this advancement, Colgate launched its pioneering product line, Colgate Ribbon Dental Cream, in 1896. This move established the position of the company in the oral care industry and set the stage for its future as a global leader in manufacturing dental hygiene products.
The company has many firsts to its credit. For example, it was the first toothpaste to be sold in tubes. Also, the company was a pioneer in adding fluoride to toothpaste to help improve dental health and prevent cavities. In 1928, the company joined Palmolive-Peet to become more than an oral care company.
Finally
The evolution of the Colgate logo shows the growth of the company from a small New York soap and candle business to a global leader in oral care. Over the years, each iteration of the logo has reflected the design sensibilities of the era. At the same time, it maintained the core elements that ensure brand recognition.
The current logo, with its simple yet bold design, places Colgate in the digital age while honouring its rich heritage. With Colgate continuing to grow and innovate in oral care, its logo remains a symbol of trust and quality for millions of consumers worldwide.