2021DecemberChange signal
The flame and name merged into one
The new identity was launched as part of the Cultural Renewal Project, inheriting the red flame and the blue PETROVIETNAM lettering, tightening the layout and standardizing the font.
Change component(4)
- Symbol. The red flame is retained, symbolizing energy and passionate spirit.
- Text. The text PETROVIETNAM in blue, tightly arranged, consistent in font.
- Composition. The symbol and text form a unified entity rather than two separate pieces.
- Source note. News articles do not record the date of the launch ceremony, so this page only notes the month.
Read at the professional level(4)
- Combine two pieces into one block. The symbol and the text before it are two separate parts placed side by side. Combining them into one means there will now be a single standard ratio, eliminating the issue of each place adjusting the distance between the flame and the text. For a group with many subsidiaries creating their own publications, this is more valuable than just the visual aspect.
- Standardize the font. It sounds like tidying up, but this is the biggest gap in all old identity systems. Handwritten text means that each time it needs to be recreated in a different size, it is redrawn, and each time it is redrawn, it shifts slightly. After a few years, no one will know which version is the original.
- Two colors divide two roles. Red maintains the symbol, while blue holds the text. Clear division of roles means that when reduced to a single color, the hierarchy can still be discerned, as it lies in the shape rather than the color.
- Tightening the layout means changing without requiring anyone to relearn. The old form remains in memory, only the spacing and proportions change. This is the margin reserved for the brand, where recognition is strong and there is no reason to disrupt it.
Why change(2)
- The identity system is part of the Petrovietnam Cultural Renewal Project, meaning it is part of rebuilding the internal structure rather than just a one-time refresh of the image.
- The group expresses a desire to appear more dynamic and friendly, adapting to new development trends, including energy transition and digital transformation.
Within the brand system(2)
- This project is part of the Cultural Renewal Initiative, meaning it is an internal tool before being an external face. For a state-owned group with many subsidiaries, the hardest part is not designing the logo, but ensuring that all units use the same version.
- That is also the reason to prioritize consistency in typography over appearance. A system that is easy to use correctly can reach down to the final unit, while a beautiful but difficult-to-reproduce system will stop at the corporate level.
Trade-off(2)
- Since it inherits almost entirely, no one needs to relearn the sign, but the announcement is difficult to create a sense of something truly changing.
- For large state-owned enterprises, maintaining the core is also a way to ensure the continuity of legal documents and international contracts, which is much more expensive than the aesthetic aspect.
Professional assessment(4)
- Can be closed off. Choose the right place to change. The layout and font are two factors that determine whether the logo can be replicated, yet they are often the least noticed by outsiders. Changing there means altering the operational aspect, not the display aspect.
- Do not use the announcement to declare a new chapter that does not yet exist. The new system accurately reflects what is being done, no more.
- Still open-ended. This project must accomplish two opposing tasks. Internally, it needs people within the group to see that something has truly changed, as it is part of a cultural initiative. Externally, it needs the market not to have to relearn. The chosen approach heavily favors the latter.
- The red flame remains associated with energy, but four years later, the group completely dropped the term Oil and Gas from its name. How well the flame image aligns with a group that identifies itself as a national industry and energy company is a question that the group did not have to answer in 2021, and it still hangs in the air today.
Takeaway(1)
- Placing the 2025 milestone right below shows that a group can change its face first and then change its name many years later. The lesson is not about which order is correct, but that both actions are part of a long-term plan, rather than two separate responses.
Similar case(1)
- Petrolimex 2026 Keep a lot, change a littleTwo large energy companies chose to inherit the core and only tighten the layout.
SourcePetrotimesBáo Đầu tư
2025April 9Change the legal entity name
Remove the words Oil and Gas from the name, without changing a stroke
The Prime Minister decided to change the name of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group to the Vietnam National Industrial and Energy Group, effective immediately upon signing. The abbreviation PETROVIETNAM and the identity system remain unchanged.
Change component(0)
No public source mentions any changes to the sign. The identity system currently in use was launched at the end of 2021.
Read at the professional level(3)
- It falls into the hands of the standard keeper, not the designer. The new name adds an entire clause, so every place that prints the full name next to the logo must be adjusted. This type of work is rarely praised, but if overlooked, it becomes immediately apparent on the official documents of the entire system.
- The abbreviated name carries the entire market identity. PETROVIETNAM remains unchanged, so the logo does not need to be altered at all. This is the advantage of a brand with a strong abbreviation: changing the legal name does not necessitate a change in identity, even if it is changed at the Prime Minister's decision level.
- Effective immediately upon signing, with no transition period. On paper, the transition period is nearly zero. In terms of what customers see, there is no transition period at all, as nothing needs to be changed. Both of these aspects can only be achieved simultaneously when the two layers of names have been separated beforehand.
Why change(2)
- The work has gone beyond the name. The corporation identifies three pillars: energy, industry, and services, with energy as the core pillar, so the term Oil and Gas can no longer encompass the scope of operations.
- The new name is linked to the direction of energy transition and the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, meaning the name is based on what is to come rather than what has been done.
Within the brand system(2)
- This is a model case of a two-layer name: the legal layer lies within the decision of the regulatory authority, while the abbreviated layer exists in the market. If the two layers can be separated, then the upper layer can change while the lower layer remains completely stable.
- The abbreviation PETROVIETNAM stands strong independently from the legal name through multiple changes. Vietnamese businesses rarely establish a deliberate stance, so each time they change their license, it often results in an unnecessary break in recognition.
Trade-off(2)
- The new legal name is significantly longer and hard to use in everyday conversation. This is compensated by retaining the abbreviation PETROVIETNAM along with the international trading name, so the familiar market segment remains intact.
- Changing the legal name entails a significant amount of paperwork for the group and its subsidiaries. The decision clearly states that the unit with the new name inherits all rights, obligations, and responsibilities, specifically to prevent those costs from affecting ongoing commitments.
Professional assessment(4)
- It can be closed. Four years between two milestones with absolutely no signs of stagnation, not a single minor adjustment. This is a sign of a system that was built solidly from the start, not a patchwork assembled over time.
- Keeping the abbreviation is the cheapest and most correct decision of the entire milestone. A name change at the highest level where the identity does not cost a dime is a reward for having separated the two layers of names many years ago.
- Still open-ended. The new name is long and difficult to pronounce, so in everyday conversation, it is almost certain that no one will use it. This relegates the legal name to something that only exists in documents, widening the gap between the two layers of names.
- The term Oil and Gas is removed from the name, but the flame remains on the sign. These two elements convey different messages, and no source has indicated whether the corporation intends to close that gap.
Takeaway(1)
- A business can have two layers of names: the legal name in the regulatory agency's decision and the market name used daily. By separating these two layers, the upper layer can be changed without having to retrain the market on the lower layer. When a business merges into one, each time it changes its license, it results in an unnecessary break in recognition.
Similar case(2)
- Viettel 2018 Change the name first, change the face laterBoth involve changing the legal entity without altering the sign, but in reverse order. Viettel changed its name and then three years later changed its face, while Petrovietnam changed its face and then over three years later changed its name.
- LPBank 2023 Change the name first, change the face laterThe two reasons for the name change are completely different: one side because the name could not be called, the other because the name no longer encompasses all that they do.
SourceBáo Chính phủTuổi Trẻ
