Mastercard strips its name from its logo

Fifty years after introducing its logo of interlocking red and yellow circles, Mastercard has simplified its official logo by stripping the name 'mastercard' from it. The credit card firm now refers to its standalone logo of two circles as the 'Mastercard symbol'.

"Reinvention in the digital age calls for modern simplicity," said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communication officer at Mastercard, in a release. "And with more than 80% of people spontaneously recognizing the Mastercard symbol without the word 'Mastercard,' we felt ready to take this next step in our brand evolution."

The move, aimed at simplifying its brand recognition, not only purports to provide "crisper", modern, simple and flexible look, but also aims to be more relevant for the digital era, the company said.

"This logo alone can represent Mastercard better than one word ever could," the release stated. "The evolved logo also allows partners, merchants, and the company to use the necessary branding seamlessly across the digital landscape."

Mastercard logo evolution over time