Our history

Our roots trace back to the 1870 founding of Standard Oil, a company that helped shape modern energy infrastructure. In 1911, the U.S. Supreme Court divided Standard Oil into 33 different companies, including Standard Oil of New Jersey (Jersey Standard). Across more than a century of leadership, Exxon™ has built a reputation for reliability, operational scale and scientific innovation.

Founded by John D. Rockefeller, Standard Oil of New Jersey (later Exxon) grew to become one of the most trusted names in American energy. In many states, Jersey Standard marketed its products under the brand “Esso,” which is the phonetic pronunciation of the initials “S” and “O” in Standard Oil. However, in other states, the other Standard Oil companies objected. In those states, Jersey Standard marketed under the brands Enco (Energy Company) and Humble (an oil company they acquired). Jersey Standard became Exxon Corporation in 1972 and in 1999 joined with Mobil Oil Corporation, formerly Socony-Vacuum Oil, to form Exxon Mobil Corporation.

As we’ve made changes, mergers and more, so too have our trademarks, icons and advertising campaigns evolved. Here are a few particularly memorable examples.

In 1959, the tiger rose to fame in the U.S. when an advertising copywriter coined the now iconic phrase, “Put a Tiger in Your Tank,” for Exxon. The slogan launched numerous ads, jingles and TV commercials that became so popular, Time Magazine dubbed 1964 "The Year of the Tiger Along Madison Avenue."

From 1995–2002, Exxon established the Save The Tiger Fund in collaboration with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and contributed $1 million annually. The Save The Tiger Fund was dedicated to conserving Asia’s remaining wild tigers.

Exxon has pioneered advancements in fuels, lubricants, refining and petrochemicals — consistently delivering innovations that improve engine performance and fuel efficiency.