The creation and design of a brand is not created in a single day. They consist of a long creative process, in which all factors have to be taken into account. Therefore, it is important that in the design or redesign of a brand, even the smallest details are taken into account. A clear example of this is: Amazon.
The American e-commerce company has changed its logo numerous times, until reaching the one we know today. Amazon has been able to adapt to changes and brand philosophy, with its recognizable logo. And it is that, sometimes it is not necessary to have a complex logo. Amazon is a clear example of the importance of adapting your logo based on events. Here we tell you the history and meaning of the Amazon logo, until we reach the one it currently has.
History and meaning of the Amazon logo
Year 1995
Amazon was created as a site for selling books, with this business the company's first logo was born. When the Amazon logo was created, Jeff Bezos wanted it to be minimalist under the guise of saving on budgets. Apparently, the move went so well that it did not affect the identity of the brand, currently recognized throughout the planet. The company's original logo was created by Turner Duckworth in 1995. The logo consisted of the letter "A" with the Amazon website below it in black sans-serif font. In turn, the shape of the Amazon River divided the letter “A”. With this calming effect they wanted to highlight the store.
Year 1997
Two years later, the first logo was redesigned. They added horizontal lines that came out in a way that recreated the Amazon River. With this new shape, the logo resembled a tree. The logo still had no color. As for the emblem, it became smaller.
Year 1998
It wasn't until 1998 that Amazon began to grow exponentially. New products were added to the store, such as books and music among others. The logo change wanted to reflect that product offer. Three different logos were created. The first of all, simply removed the symbol of the Amazon River and left the emblem with a serif typeface, becoming the logo and adding another slogan "The largest bookstore on Earth". This logo did not last long, it was replaced by a version that did contain a new color: yellow.
Now the letters of the logo became uppercase, and the letter "O" was yellow. The emblem disappeared again. In the latest version, we can see a younger and more modern logo, with the brand name "Amazon.com" and a yellow line below it. This line had a slight upward curve. With this line they wanted to represent the idea of a bridge, connecting the past with the future.
Year 2000
The Amazon logo as it is known was created more than 20 years ago. It ended up becoming the emblem of the new company. Currently, the logo is made up of an “Amazon” wordmark, which happens to have lowercase letters. You still see a yellow line, but this time in the shape of an arrow. That joins the letters “A” and “Z”. The choice of colors accompanies the arrow in the shape of a smile, which further accentuates the youthful and positive identity of the brand.
The logo that we all know today was designed in 2000 and became a symbol of the new generation and technological progress. The design was chosen by the largest e-commerce platform, reflecting its positive and progressive approach.
Still, Jeff Bezos was concerned about packaging costs. He preferred to save on the design of other elements. So Duckworth chose to use only the smile to identify the shipping boxes. Creating some smiling boxes, which in turn functioned as a marketing strategy.
logo value
Interpretation that Bezos gives to his logo, It has to do with the great variety of products that he wanted his store to have at the time. For this reason the logo has an arrow that starts at the letter “A” and ends at “Z”. That simple arrow connected all the products that are sold on Amazon. If you look closely you will see that the date is in the shape of a smile.
Typography
As for the typography used by Amazon, it can be said that it is neither too serious nor too casual, is at a midpoint. Regarding the choice of color black, orange and white, we can say that black was chosen with the intention of conveying superiority and control in the retail market. Orange adds energy and happiness, while adding color to black and making it not so serious.
