A red umbrella logo has been keeping people dry for more than 150 years. It belongs to The Travelers Companies (Stocktangle stock #227), one of the largest property and casualty insurers in the United States, covering homes, cars, and businesses against whatever goes wrong. The umbrella first went up in 1870, when it meant something literal: shelter from the storm, protection on the road. It still means exactly that, rare in a world where brands reinvent themselves every few years.

The umbrella's most famous moment came when it briefly belonged to someone else. Through a corporate marriage, it landed in the hands of the banking giant Citi. Needing a new identity, Citi brought in legendary designer Paula Scher, who reportedly sketched the answer in seconds during the very first meeting: a small arc over the letters, a quiet wink to the red umbrella Citi had inherited. She was paid a reported seven-figure fee for a drawing that took less time than a coffee break, one of the most famous napkin sketches in design history. But an umbrella belongs over an insurer, not a bank, and when Citi let it go, Travelers bought its own icon back for a reported fortune.

Today that red umbrella is one of Travelers' most valuable assets, and the company treats it that way. In a 2025 trademark lawsuit, Travelers told a court that products sold under the mark had generated more than $150 billion in revenue since 2008, backed by tens of millions a year in advertising. It guards the symbol fiercely, sending lawyers after targets as varied as a children's health program and an umbrella manufacturer. The little red icon from 1870 is now worth fighting for, and Travelers fights.

Learn more: One Earth

Monday, July 13 to Sunday, July 19.

The following are the shortest paths from last week:

Play Forgeous for Jul 20