ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Marathon Petroleum Corporation revealed a new image for Marathon-branded gas stations, according to a news release.
“Remaining true to our heritage, you will still see the familiar red, white and blue colors reconfigured into a bolder, more contemporary design,” said John Rice, manager, brand marketing at Marathon. “Updated dimensional elements such as a retooled logo, channel letters and illumination will capture attention both day and night. The new image also features ‘Endurance Fuels’ to underscore Marathon’s enduring commitment to provide consumers with high-quality fuels.”
As part of the development process, Marathon will test the new look this month at three prototype sites in Findlay, Ohio, which is where the company’s headquarters are located, and will announce a full launch plan by August.
Steve Solomon, director of brand strategy and innovation at Marathon, said the new image provides a brighter, more modern look that emphasizes Marathon’s commitment to quality and reliability with space for further innovations. “Brand marketing is a key component of Marathon’s go-to-market strategy, and this new image is just the beginning of more innovations to come,” he said.
In 2020, industry experts shared new ideas for forecourt design, store layouts and innovating the drive-thru that are still relevant today in a “Shop Talk Live” webinar. Joseph Bona, principle and founder of Bona Design Lab, and Craig Phillipson, managing director of Shopworks, showed blueprints for what sites could look like, including a revolutionary “The Blok” concept, where customers would remain in their vehicles and drive through the site rather than around it.
The concept takes the drive-thru to the next level by fully exposing the in-store offer and merchandise along with visual cues and a drive-thru tunnel, where customers would feel like they’re physically in the store, which would encourage impulse shopping in addition to planned purchases.
Bona and Phillipson also suggested that what is old could be new again for traditional store layouts by easing congestion points and forcing the flow of foot traffic.
NACS Magazine dove into these topics in the article “Pass Through” and “Pandemic Pushes Design Rethink.”