Based on the scale of the project, changing UPS’s visual identity may be one of the most significant corporate identity transformations ever.

The UPS brand is one of the most seen and recognized on the globe. During the course of a year, UPS touches the doorstep of 98 percent of the homes in America and reaches customers in more than 200 countries. Eighty percent of the world’s population can be reached by UPS in 48 hours or less.

The logo appears on more than 88,000 vehicles, 257 large jet aircraft, 1,700 facilities around the world, 70,000 drop-off and retail access points, more than 1 million uniform pieces and more than 3 billion packages annually.

The visual changes will not be restricted to the logo alone. To further communicate the global reach and expanding capabilities of UPS, the phrase “Synchronizing the World of Commerce” will become part of the design of the company’s aircraft and familiar brown package cars. New advertising also will include the “synchronizing commerce” theme.

And while brown will remain the primary color representing UPS, other new, complementary colors will become part of the design of aircraft, packages and other company assets.

According to Eskew, UPS had planned to unveil the new logo today at events around the world, but significantly scaled back on those plans as a result of current events in the Middle East.

The most visible change to the UPS logo is the removal of the bow-tied parcel that appears atop the shield. Ironically, even though the small bow had become one of the most recognized features of the company’s logo, packages with string have not been accepted by UPS for several decades because the string can get caught in high-speed sorting machinery.

The logo now being replaced was designed in 1961 by Paul Rand, a renowned brand designer who also was responsible for the logos of IBM, ABC, Westinghouse and Yale University, among others.

“Package delivery is and will remain the foundation of our business at UPS,” Eskew said. “But as we expand our capabilities and broaden the solutions we bring to our customers, we felt it was the right time to make our logo reflect the company’s evolution.”

For decades, UPS has been developing and acquiring new capabilities to broaden the global package delivery options it provides its customers. Today, the company offers freight services by any mode of transportation, international trade management, customs brokerage, consulting and supply chain management, financial services and e-commerce solutions. Most of these services are offered under the company’s recently formed Supply Chain Solutions business unit.

In addition, UPS has dramatically expanded its retail presence through the acquisition of Mail Boxes Etc. Last month, the company announced it would provide Mail Boxes Etc. franchisees within the United States the opportunity to rebrand their stores under the name The UPS Store.

“We believe that ‘synchronized commerce’ is the next evolution of global commerce, where the three flows of trade – goods, information and funds – are seamlessly connected to benefit businesses worldwide,” said Eskew. “Our capabilities give UPS a unique opportunity to lead this evolution, and our strong brand gives us a great foundation on which to move forward.”

UPS is the world’s largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services, offering an extensive range of options for synchronizing the movement of goods, information and funds. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., UPS serves more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. UPS's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (UPS), and the company can be found on the Web at UPS.com.