Amazon reached a historic valuation of $705.65 billion in 2022. And guess what? Their logo surely contributed to this! This logo is one of the most recognizable of our time. It’s almost impossible to find someone who doesn’t know him.
But did you know that the history of this logo is one of the most intriguing in the industry? There are so many stories online about its origins that it’s hard to know what’s true and what’s not.
If you’re as curious as I am, you’ve probably spent some time researching the real history of this logo.
Don’t worry, I took the time to search and dig around the web to bring you the true story of this iconic Amazon logo. So sit back and relax. Let me tell you this fascinating story!
Source : masterbundles
The fascinating story behind the creation of the Amazon logo
Amazon is an American company, one of the big four in technology, GAFA, which was created by Jeff Bezos in 1994 under the first name of Cadabra.
Amazon is the most popular online marketplace, with elements of an online store. In addition to items offered by small and large retailers in various categories, you can also purchase Amazon-branded products.
Amazon’s reputation is largely based on its wide selection of merchandise and exceptional customer service.
The company focuses on e-commerce and artificial intelligence. Additionally, it offers cloud computing-based services and a diverse range of cutting-edge IT technologies.
Focus on Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, was able to use his genius to create a small business starting from his garage and transformed it into a juggernaut.
Mr. Bezos was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1964. His mother, Jacklyn, was a teenager and his father, Ted, owned a bicycle store.
Jeff spent his childhood in the Texas city of Houston, and subsequently studied at Princeton University. He studied electrical engineering and computer science.
After graduating, Jeff Bezos worked on Wall Street for various companies, including D. E. Shaw & Co. Then, in 1994, he quit his job and moved to Seattle to start Amazon.
In an interview, he said the reason he started Amazon was because he wanted to create a place where people could come to find anything they wanted to buy online.
He wanted to build a sustainable, customer-centric business. Amazon has undoubtedly achieved both of these objectives.
The e-commerce giant is known for its excellent customer service and Prime shipping program.
The meteoric evolution of the Amazon logo
The company went public in 1997, became profitable in 2001, and has been growing ever since.
From an online bookstore to the world’s largest online store, Amazon has traveled a lot. The company has changed its logo several times during its journey. The platform’s original logo was created in 1995.
Throughout the company’s history, changes have been minimal and the current color scheme was established in 1998, although the first two versions were produced in black and white.
Due to Jeff Bezos’ desire to minimize brand design expenses, Amazon’s logo has always had a minimalist design. This, however, did not affect the recognizable and modernity of the emblem, which is known throughout the world today.
Let’s talk about the modification of the company logo since its creation:
Source : 1000logos
The Amazon logo from 1995 – 1997
Source : 1000logos
Turner Duckworth is the design agency that created the original Amazon logo in 1995. The logo inspires a blend of elegance and symbolism. The main element of the logo is a stylized black letter “A”. This very first logo presented the company domain “amazon.com” under a wide and narrow black trapezoid.
The figure was meant to inspire something unknown and undiscovered. Amazon itself was presented as a bringer of light in this sector.
This is why there is also a wavy line, similar to a road, which starts from the bottom and goes down towards the left side of the figure.
Below the emblem, the lowercase wordmark “amazon.com” is written in black, in a simple, clean sans-serif font. Furthermore, at the beginning, Amazon positioned itself solely as a site oriented toward the sale of books.
It was for this purpose that the first logo was created, which focused solely on a digital bookstore.
The Amazon logo from 1997 – 1998
Source : 1000logos
In 1997, the logo was redesigned. It retained the capital letter “A” as in Amazon’s previous logo, but the redesign came with different colors and fills, from zebra stripes to flames.
The logo consistently features a monochrome color palette. As for the wordmark, its style has been slightly modified and the lettering has become bolder. This was a final attempt to reimagine the initial design.
The Amazon logo from 1998
Source : 1000logos
The company’s visual identity underwent significant changes in 1998. That year, three distinct logos were developed.
The first was a simple “amazon.com” wordmark in an elegant serif font, with the tagline “Earth’s Biggest Bookstore.” This is written in capital letters in a simple and strict, sans-serif font.
The logo was initially black and white, but it was later replaced by a completely new concept.
The next version incorporated the new black and dark orange color scheme. Currently, the logotype features capital letters and an enlarged orange “O”. The slogan was removed from this version.
Source : 1000logos
This logo only remained with the company for a few months and was replaced later in the year with a new emblem, which became the basis for the current emblem.
The Amazon logo from 1998 – 2000
Source : 1000logos
The famous “Swish” logo appeared in late 1998. Like its predecessors, it was simplistic in nature, but conveyed a fresh and youthful vibe. This time she chose to use just the domain part and ditch the tagline.
The orange, which was a replacement “O”, became an underscore. A non-uniform curved line has been included below the text. In this version, amazon.com is outlined with this downward curving orange line, creating a bridge shape, connecting the past and the future.
The black and orange colors made the company very popular. For this evolution, the domain was given a new typeface, where the brand name itself became bold, while the “.com” element remained as usual.
The Amazon logo from 2000 – present
Source : 1000logos
The current logo that we all recognize was created in the year 2000. Today it represents the new era and advancements in technology. The largest e-commerce platform has opted for a logo that embodies its optimistic and forward-thinking philosophy.
The iconic smiling arrow symbol, created by Turner Duckworth, is playful and friendly. It gives the feeling of being reliable and cheerful. The visual identity is bright and perfectly balanced with a black and orange color palette to reinforce these feelings.
This logo was a game changer since Amazon made a profit of $5 million in 2001.
The new version of the Amazon logo
Source : logolook
Amazon’s current logo consists of the single wordmark “Amazon” in lowercase letters. Below the letters is the bold, smooth orange arrow that goes from “A” to “Z” and forms a smiley face.
Indeed, in 2012, the designer of the Amazon logo, Turner Duckworth, decided to remove “.com” from the previous logo. However, the arrow has a symbolic value, as well as a sympathetic aspect. Likewise, if you look at it from another angle, you might see a smile.
This new design of the Amazon logo clearly indicates that the company has expanded well beyond the digital market, as Amazon now sells products in its physical stores.
Amazon is the perfect example of the importance of a good logo for marketing and business expansion. You can get the Amazon logo in PNG format here.
The true meaning of the Amazon logo
Amazon’s current logo describes the company well. The logo features the word “amazon” in lowercase letters and an arrow that extends from “a” to “z”. The arrow represents two things: on the one hand, the company sells everything, from A to Z, and on the other hand, it represents a smile on the customer’s face.
Amazon’s current logo uses a black and orange color combination. Black represents superiority and sophistication, while orange represents confidence and joie de vivre.
The use of black demonstrates the company’s superiority and dominance in the online retail market, as it has proven time and again with its financial performance.
Pops of bright orange separate the logo from the dark black background and give it energy and appeal.
- Many believe the arrow represents the company’s emphasis on customer satisfaction and speed of delivery.
- Others believe the arrow refers to the world’s largest river, the Amazon. But another interpretation is less known.
- The arrow also represents the company’s direction towards the future.
- The curved part of the arrow refers to the past, while the straight part of the arrow represents the future.
- This hidden message reminds the company that it must always focus on the future and continue to innovate.
- The arrow that forms the “A” in the logo is a smile, and the hand that goes from “A” to “Z” represents a customer shopping on Amazon.
- The arrow also means that we are moving forward and achieving our goals.
The characteristics of the Amazon logo
The new Amazon logo is more than just an emblem. It was created according to the philosophy of Bezos, who dreamed that his online store would offer a huge range of products. As often, we mentioned previously, “from A to Z”.
Designers Joanne Chan and David Turner of Turner Duckworth Agency worked on the Amazon project for weeks. They thus presented an idea and a design for the logo Amazon au format PNG which immediately appealed to Jeff Bezos.
Bezos was very enthusiastic, he said how much he loved the logo, Johan Chan remembers. At one point, the Amazon boss slammed his palm on the table and said, “That’s it,” “That’s it.”
When asked by the company’s vice president if he wanted to do some research first, Mr. Bezos laughed and said, “Only people who don’t like puppies wouldn’t like this logo.”
Icon
Source : 1000logos
The Amazon icon is one of the most recognizable graphics in the world and consists of two basic symbols: a small, bold black letter “A” placed above a curved arrow resembling a smile.
The company made the most of this symbol, turning a simple line into a legend. The orange curved line looks like a friendly smile. This is how using a smile in design transformed ordinary boxes into smiley boxes.
By turning the packaging into a marketing tool, the company was able to claim that they were bringing smiles to the door with this move. The presence of the color orange, which is usually associated with kindness, warmth and joy, enhances the overall impression.
Source : 1000logos
Font
Amazon uses a very good bold font – a modified version of Eric Spiekermann’s Officina Sans Bold. It’s neither too professional nor too casual, but creates the perfect balance for an online store.
Source : masterbundles
This font allows the company to show its personality while staying in tune with current trends.
Its main features are smooth arched lines, slightly curved and playful line tails, and a very precise and neat appearance.
The most memorable part of the character is the letter “Z”, whose bottom horizontal bar arches toward the center, as if “hugging” the tip of the arrow, originating from Amazon’s orange emblem.
In summary
Throughout its history, the Amazon logo has undergone numerous changes, adapting to the development and expansion of the company. From the simple black and white design with the curved arrow to today’s more modern and clean version.
The Amazon logo has become a symbol of the company’s commitment to offering everything from A to Z with its distinctive orange arrow, the logo represents Amazon’s mission to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience.
As Amazon continues to expand its reach and services, it will be interesting to see how the logo continues to evolve in the future. To find other inspiring designs, you can visit our collection of logo models on our blog. Use them for your branding.
