UPS unveiled a “new look” this week that includes the first redesign in more than 40 years of the company’s famous “shield” logo. UPS said the change reflects the significant broadening of capabilities that has occurred in recent years as the company expanded across the globe and introduced a portfolio of new supply chain services.

In addition, the phrase “Synchronizing the World of Commerce” will become part of the design of the company’s aircraft and familiar brown package cars. New advertising also will include the “synchronizing commerce” theme. And while brown will remain the primary color representing UPS, other new, complementary colors will become part of the design of aircraft, packages and other company assets. According to a company spokesperson, UPS had planned to unveil the new logo at events around the world, but significantly scaled back on those plans as a result of current events in the Middle East.

The most visible change to the UPS logo is the removal of the bow-tied parcel that appears atop the shield. Ironically, even though the small bow had become one of the most recognized features of the company’s logo, packages with string have not been accepted by UPS for several decades because the string can get caught in high-speed sorting machinery.