As part of an overall brand refresh, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) has adopted a new logo. The logo design is based on the Penrose “impossible triangle,” which itself was partly inspired by the famous drawings by M.C. Escher that employed ambiguous shadows and perspectives to depict objects that couldn’t exist in three-dimensional space.
The SoA says, however, that the new logo represents infinity, like a Mobius strip, which some people believe is the original inspiration for the ancient symbol of infinity, ∞. According to one source, if “a line is traced around the Penrose triangle, a three-loop Mobius is formed.”
“The infinity symbol communicates how the organization is continually evolving to provide forward-thinking research, education and opportunities for our community and the professionals within it,” the SOA said in a release.
“ The shield represents a foundation, bound by a set of principles, that advances the interests of our profession and cultivates outstanding, trusted professionals. The Penrose triangle (impossible triangle), among other mathematical related symbols, served as inspiration. The logo is blue, a color of trust.”
The new logo will be featured on SOA.org and in the organization’s magazine, The Actuary.
“The SOA brand is changing, though our principles endure as we serve the public, advance the profession, credential and educate actuaries, and build strong actuarial communities,” said SOA President Errol Cramer, FSA, MAAA, in a statement. “This brand refresh reflects the essence of the SOA. We are trusted to advance knowledge through actuarial research. We are trusted to nurture and educate our candidates.”
The SOA’s ancestry can be traced to the formation of the Actuarial Society of America in 1889. When the ASA merged with the American Institute of Actuaries in 1949, the SOA was born. The SOA will continue to use its traditional seal for official documents.
When entertaining ideas for a new logo, the SOA surveyed members and other audiences on the messages and brand identity. The brand campaign was developed by the SOA and an outside vendor. The SOA Board of Directors approved the new logo in October 2014.
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