Last Updated: 06/25/2024
For many people in the business world, the PWC logo is a symbol of trust, innovation, and excellence. This design with lowercase serif lettering and a colorful abstract geometric figure exudes power and versatility, reflecting the company's reliable and diverse financial and tax consultancy services.
Let us share with you the story about the logo’s heritage and design and explore its transformation and meaning.
PWC's Evolution and Iconic Logo Origins
Two specialized accounting firms emerged in the 19th century: Price Waterhouse in 1849 and Coopers & Lybrand in 1854, both originating in London. In 1998, these two companies decided to merge under the name PricewaterhouseCoopers to expand their financial advisory services.
This merger brought together two respected institutions, each with its own unique history and visual identity. The challenge was to create a unified brand that would honor both legacies while projecting a modern and cohesive image.
The original PricewaterhouseCoopers logo featured the full company name in thin, uppercase letters arranged unevenly, with "P," "W," and "C" larger than the rest. This created a cramped and hard-to-read inscription that contrasted with the firm's serious nature. The miniature graphic ligature at the end of the wordmark added a touch of nobility, but the logo still lacked a clear indication of the company's purpose.
PWC Logo Design Is a Modern, Minimalist, and Distinguishing Symbol of Professionalism
The modern PwC logo was created in September 2010 when the company changed its trading name from “PricewaterhouseCoopers“ to “PwC.”
Wolff Olins was tasked to create a logo that will represent the company’s appetite to become the world’s number one professional services network. The logo features “pwc” in black lowercase letters in a serif font with an abstract and pixelated image above it.
This visual pixelation provided flexibility for both digital and online use, helping this company with over 364,000 employees in 151 countries, eliminate previous inconsistencies and confusion. Also, its orange, red, yellow, and pink colors provide a unique separation of PwC from other similar brands that usually use blues, greens, and greys.
Any of the established logo design companies could tell you that well-chosen (or designed) typography could make or break your branding efforts. PwC logo strategically used ITC Charter Black to retain a modern feel with a much more crafted and human look than previous Helvetica. Lowercase letters make the brand approachable, while the italic “w” provides fluidity.
Olins’ Design Choices Define PwC’s Identity
All in all, design agency legend Wolff Olins created much more than a logo; the PwC design is a representation of the energetic human change that carries the company forward in the professional services industry. It's a minimal and aesthetically pleasing embodiment of the company's goals and values, something that any branding agency should strive for when designing one's visual identity.
For more on Wolff Olins’ work, check out his Uber logo design. Alternatively, see more industry-specific examples with the best finance logo designs.
