Our brands
Each of our brands has its own heritage and personality, but they all have one thing in common – they symbolize, embody or provide tremendous energy
bp is our main global brand. It is the name that appears on production platforms, refineries, ships and corporate offices as well as on wind farms, research facilities and at retail service stations.
Since ‘BP’ petrol first went on sale in Britain in the 1920s, the brand has grown to become recognized worldwide for quality gasoline, transport fuels, chemicals and alternative sources of energy such as wind and biofuels. We are committed to making a real difference in providing better energy that is needed today and in the changing world of tomorrow.
Our logo was launched in 2000 and was designed as a dramatic break with tradition. Two decades later, it is still unlike any other energy identity and symbolises a number of things – not least our greatest source of energy: the sun itself.
The colours of the Helios – named after the Greek god of the sun – suggest heat, light and nature. It is also a pattern of interlocking shapes: like bp, a single entity created by many different parts working as one. This was particularly relevant, as the new brand was launched after a series of mergers and acquisitions. It united all the heritage companies and employees that now make up bp and its global brand.
Castrol: one of the world’s top motor oil and specialist lubricants brands
Castrol lubricants for automobiles and motorbikes are trusted for their high performance and quality by manufacturers, drivers and riders. Castrol also makes lubricants for many other applications on land, sea and in the air.
We acquired Castrol in 2002 and have maintained the brand’s commitment to specialization, innovation and collaboration. Today, Castrol products are sold in more than 150 countries and Castrol is the preferred lubricants partner for Renault, Volvo, Komatsu and many other businesses.
The Castrol brand is synonymous with high performance. Castrol-sponsored motorsport teams and their drivers have broken the land speed record more than 20 times. These partnerships provide a proving ground for some of the most advanced engine oils and fluids ever developed.
‘Everything’s super’: Aral is Germany's leading fuel retail brand
Every day more than 2.5 million customers visit an Aral service station to fill up on Aral-branded fuels and lubricants, wash their vehicles, or buy high-quality food and drink on the go. Aral is Germany’s leading fuel brand marketer and the country’s third-largest fast-food retailer.
The Aral brand has been synonymous with high-quality automotive fuels for almost 100 years. Today, its service stations and retail spaces are sleek and well equipped – fulfilling the Aral slogan, ‘Alles super’ (‘Everything’s super’).
In Germany, Aral is designated a superbrand and consistently wins awards as Germany’s most trusted fuel.
bp Pulse: energizing the future of transportation
bp pulse is energizing the future of transportation by developing fast and convenient charging solutions for consumer and commercial electric vehicles.
Over the course of more than 10 years, bp pulse has designed and developed innovative electric vehicle charging solutions that enable EV drivers to charge at home, at work and on the go.
On its mission to make charging fast and hassle-free, bp pulse’s charging points have been used over 35 million times to enable around 200 million miles of zero tailpipe emission driving.
bp pulse is an essential element of bp’s strategy to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner.
Amoco: meeting the fuel needs of US motorists since 1912
Amoco in the US
In October 2017, we announced the reintroduction of our long-standing Amoco brand to the US fuel retail sector – around a century after the first Amoco service station opened in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Officially known as Standard Oil of Indiana, Amoco had by 1912 become the largest natural gas producer in North America, with a reach that stretched well beyond its home continent: exploration in 20 countries and production in 14 countries. Amoco produced 13 million tonnes of chemicals a year and was the world’s largest producer of PTA.
However, Amoco and BP merged in 1998, combining their worldwide operations into a single organization. Overnight, the new company, BP Amoco, became the largest producer of both oil and natural gas in the US. In 2001, BP Amoco changed its brand to simply ‘BP’.
The 2017 reintroduction of Amoco as a retail brand alongside bp is taking place in US cities with potential additional growth opportunities.
bp Connect: the flagship of New Zealand’s bp service station network
bp Connect sets the standard for convenience shopping in New Zealand.
From bread, milk and frozen foods to your favourite snacks and drinks, bp Connect is New Zealand’s one-stop shop for customers’ daily needs. It’s the local neighbourhood convenience store where a parking space is almost always available right outside the door.
For shoppers on the run or in need of a quick pick-me-up, Wild Bean Cafe at bp Connect is ready and waiting – with a piping hot cup of your favourite coffee – freshly made by trained baristas.
bp Connect and sister brand bp 2go together over 200 stores across New Zealand, which also offer a range of fuels – from 91 and 95 to the top-of-the-range BP Ultimate 98 and BP Ultimate Diesel.
ampm: convenience shops in the western US with a unique personality
Across five states on the US’ pacific coast – from California up to Washington state – ampm is the highway retail-and-rest brand of choice for motorists. With all its outlets attached to ARCO stations, the brand is well-known for the quality of its food and drinks offer.
Since 1978 when the first ampm outlet opened to serve a snack-craved Southern California populace, the brand has grown rapidly by maintaining its commitment to quality and determination to offer the best selection on the open road.
Today, there are more than 1,000 ampm stores throughout the West Coast, serving nearly 2,200 different products.
Thorntons: a fuel and convenience store chain across six US states
Thorntons, founded in 1971 by James Thornton in Clarksville, Indiana. Its formats range from traditional fuel and convenience stores, stores with expanded kitchen formats and Travel Centers.
The original 1971 site featured a kiosk building and a full-service attendant. In the 1980s, Thorntons transitioned from kiosk locations to convenience stores and grew to over 100 locations.
In 2019, Thorntons was sold to a joint venture between ArcLight Capital Partners and bp, which in 2021, acquired ArcLight’s share to fully own the convenience store company. Thorntons, now in more than 200 locations, is a sister chain to bp-owned ampm; the two chains do not overlap.
wildbean cafe: a brand on the move across four continents
wildbean cafe offers fresh food and high-quality coffee for motorists around the world, including in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, South Africa and China.
It is a brand on the move, with new branches opening all the time, most of them at bp retail sites, offering customers a great experience, with tasty food for now including freshly baked goods and barista-made coffees.
Air bp: innovating and shaping the aviation industry for over 90 years
Air bp comprises fuel specialists, engineers, technicians, operational specialists, risk managers, and sustainable fuel experts. It is also one of the world’s largest aviation suppliers.
With a network of over 700 locations across more than 55 countries, Air bp supplies 6.6 billion gallons of aviation fuel a year – fuelling 6,000 flights a day. That’s around four planes a minute.
Air bp customers include commercial airlines, aircraft and helicopter operators, business jet operators, private pilots, the military, as well as aviation authorities, into plane operators, general aviation airfield and FBOs and national oil companies.
“We connect the world.”
TravelCenters of America: ‘Make yourself at home’
Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, TravelCenters of America (TA) is a network of more than 280 sites with 18,000 team members across 44 states, principally under the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express brands.
TA offers a full range of facilities for vehicles and fleet trucks, including more than 600 full-service and quick-service restaurants, as well as truck maintenance and repair services.
In May 2023, bp acquired TA for $1.3 billion. Located on major highways across US on sites averaging 10ha (25 acres), TA is set to complement bp’s existing off-highway US convenience and mobility business.
Around 70% of TA’s total gross margin comes from its convenience services business, almost double that of bp’s global convenience gross margin.