From A to Z, you can find everything on Amazon. Amazon is an American multinational technology company offering cloud computing, digital streaming, AI, and eCommerce. Founded in 1994 in Seattle by Jeff Bezos, it was initially known as a giant online marketplace for books. Now, it has expanded and sells several other products, from skincare and medicines to machines and outdoor and indoor furniture. You name it, and you will definitely find it (unless it is out of stock already).
Amazon is one of the most successful brands in the world. It started in the owner’s garage and has become the second-largest company globally. And just like that, Amazon’s logo has changed over the years, and we can learn from this to understand how logos can reflect a brand’s identity and convey hidden meanings. It’s interesting to see how the logo designers took their time to create a logo that perfectly represents Amazon. Behind every successful brand lies trial and error, which requires changes, improvements, and thought. The same applies to your business’s logo design. Some companies are successful in creating a logo design that represents their brand well in one go, while others need to make a couple of changes. But do not let that stop you from trying to gain a logo design in the first place. Those changes also inspire new creators, and that in itself is also a success story.
Before we dive into the symbolism, history, and significance of the Amazon logo smile, if you are a business owner who needs to create a logo design or needs to change your current logo, you can contact our logo design agency to provide you with the ultimate solutions at the most affordable rates.
Let’s begin to decode the Amazon logo!
Hidden Meaning Behind the Current Amazon Logo Design
The current Amazon logo design may seem simple at first glance. But if you look at it closely, you will notice why people call it the “Amazon logo smile.” Additionally, it has a message for customers that was either intentionally created or coincidental. Here we are to help you see a different side to Amazon’s current logo:
The Hidden Meaning
Here is Amazon’s current logo.
At first glimpse, you will notice the arrow. It is dark yellow and gets noticed from a long distance. In fact, without this arrow, the logo looks incomplete. This arrow may also act as an emblem for the company since it is the vital feature of this logo. If you inspect further and try to unsee the arrow, you will notice that it looks like a side smile or a smirk. Now, pairing the two meanings together, you get a positive sense of direction, or they deliver joy to their customers.
A smile can be contagious and can also mean happiness, joy, satisfaction, and when expectations are met… I could go on with this, but you get my point, right? The designer for the Amazon logo used a smart strategy by making this yellow part of the logo look like an arrow and a smile, where the arrowhead represents smile lines.
Personally, when you place an order online for something you are really looking “forward” to, you expect it to come any time soon. Once those expectations are met, you may smile (maybe), but if not, you will be satisfied that your delivery came on time or early, right? By now, you may get the meaning behind this arrow or the Amazon logo smile.
But that is not all. Notice where the arrow starts and where it points. It starts from “A” and points to “Z” for the brand name. This conveys a message to the consumers that they have everything available from A to Z.
So, before the company and its logo designers decided to stick with this Amazon logo design, it went through a couple of iterations. Let us look into the evolution of Amazon’s logo design.
Are you interested in K-pop? Learn about their logos too: 35 Popular K-Pop Logo Designs That Are Totally Daebak.
History and Evolution of the Amazon Logo Design
Like all successful companies, Amazon underwent a few transitions before it decided to stick with the one you see today. With each design, the company reflected on what features make its logo stand out according to its business and brand reputation. Amazon’s logo started on a humble note and became more of an emblem in 1995.
Here, we will look at each logo design and explain why they may have made the changes.
Amazon Logo from 1995 – 1997
The company name was inspired by one of the biggest rivers in the world; Bezos said that he was looking for words beginning with A for the value of alphabetical placement. He chose the name Amazon because of its difference and reference to expand his brand and company size to reflect the giant Amazon River as being one of the largest rivers in the world.
In 1995, Turner Duckworth designed the first logo. The iteration of this logo design is a trapezoid that also indicates the letter A. From that design, you can see white space, which shows a river flowing from within the A. This logo design was taken quite literally; however, at that time, the design was still creative. Below this emblem was written Amazon.com, which was a strategic way to pick out an early internet firm.
The font type was simple sans-serif. Showing direct leadership in their industry. This logo became the brand’s identity. It still remains creative despite the fact that, in that day, there was limited access to fancy tools and advanced logo designing apps. Regardless, for that year, this logo was a hit and managed to attract a wide audience.
Zebra Amazon Logo from 1997 To 1998
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The timing of the first Amazon logo redesign, which occurred around the launch of “A Night at the Roxbury” in 1998, was not just a coincidence. This redesign kept the bold and flashy style of the late ’90s, including a zebra print effect that was introduced without any apparent reason.
While the zebra print is quite eye-catching, it doesn’t serve any meaningful purpose for the client. In fact, it takes away from the visual impact of the original monogram logo, particularly the unique shape of the river.
Although this logo design was successful in representing the company’s expansion and growth, it seems like they felt the need to add a groovy look to it. The company retained the wordmark amazon.com at the bottom of the logo design base. The “.com” was used by several popular companies back in those days when it was all the hype.
This zebra Amazon logo design lasted only a short time. However, the company and designers probably knew that some major changes needed to be made as soon as possible.
Here is a fun read about LEGO’s logo design: Evolution Of The LEGO Logo: A Complete History.
Amazon Logo in 1998
In 1998, the company decided to remove the emblem or design part of the logo and simply keep the wordmark “Amazon.com.” Amazon did face a couple of challenges in refining its essence brand identity. However, if you look at it, they aren’t that far away from creating THE ONE logo design.
They probably noticed that the emblem or the trapezoid was not doing much for them and did not look as aesthetic. The first logo from the 1998 era was removed immediately, and Amazon.com was placed under “Earth’s biggest bookstore.” Now, that does limit their company since they mentioned bookstore only. While the company was to represent diversity and brand growth as an eCommerce company, the second logo design they made right after this one, they removed the text written under, and this was the first time they introduced color to their logo design.
The Amazon “O” was colored, representing dominance, and because of this, it was the key attraction of the entire logo design. (P.S. Adding color to your logo design helps A LOT).
By the end of the year, the designers came up with another Amazon logo that is the closest one to the current one, except that there is no arrow, and it looks the opposite of happy (compared to the current Amazon Logo design). The company name Amazon was bolder than the .com part. That would put more emphasis on the company name. The whole test was underlined by a dark yellow line.
The Arrow + Smile Logo from 2000 till Present
In 2000, Turner Duckworth, a design agency, unveiled Amazon’s innovative logo, which cleverly blended elements from its previous logos. The recognizable, wavy orange line, which later became the iconic smiling arrow, continues to be a significant feature of the Amazon logo design.
This time, the company turned the yellow downturned line into a smile instead. This has mainly become the brand’s identity and has made a huge impact on the brand’s growth and improvement. The yellow arrow is curved upward, starting from A and points towards Z of the Amazon word, conveying another message to the customers and viewers that you can purchase everything and anything from their online store.
The smiley swoosh arrow also symbolizes a smile and satisfaction. The yellow color implies joy and happiness, for when customers order from their eCommerce site, their expectations will be met.
The typeface used was sans-serif, and the entire text was bold and black. The designers used black, which made the arrow or smile stand out even more. That means that if we were to show you this:
You will instantly know that this is part of Amazon’s logo or represents Amazon, one of the largest companies in the world. The arrow does not have any sharp sides, giving it a more inviting look. Personally, I feel that they did not connect the arrowhead with the line to make it look like a smile because if they had done that, then it wouldn’t look like a smile, right?
Can you see the difference between the two? It looks less like a casual smile and more harsh compared to the one above.
What Font Is Amazon Logo?
Although the font in itself does not hold that much value as compared to the arrow swoosh, it still does benefit the arrow in several ways by making it stand out even more. Because if you think about it, if the typeface was also a bit fancy (Merriweather) or swirly (Lobster), that would divert the attention away from the smile (that is mainly the center of attention) and the overall look of the logo will look confusing and not aesthetic. Sometimes, simplicity is key when it comes to designing a successful logo design.
The font used for the Amazon logo is Officina Sans Bold. Here are some reasons why it was chosen:
By choosing a simple and plain typeface, the designers were able to enhance the focus and functionality of the swooshy arrow smile. Although the name also makes a bold statement, the focus on the arrow is deliberate. Based on Officina Sans Bold, the Amazon logo’s font has been slightly modified to create a more streamlined look that integrates well with the curved orange arrow.
Overall, the logo’s design choices, including the font’s clean and friendly style, contribute to the overall message of a customer-centric brand offering a wide variety of products.
Interested in learning about popular logos and their evolutions? Read our blog, “A Visual Timeline: The Microsoft Logos Transformation Through The Years (1975-2024),” to increase your knowledge about logo designs!
Symbolism and Interpretation of Amazon Logo Smile
The present Amazon logo is widely regarded as one of the best designs created by logo designers. Its minimalism, cleverness, widespread recognition, and conceptual brilliance make it stand out.
In the 2023 logo, all the elements cultivated in past Amazon logos come together to create a pinnacle design. The interplay of conceptual themes, shapes, color, and font are all at their best. The arrow in the logo gracefully stretches from the letter “a” to the letter “z,” creating a smiling arrow. This design represents client satisfaction and Amazon’s dedication to providing large-scale product selection and end-to-end service.
As Amazon underwent logo redesigns over time, it shifted its emphasis from the river theme to a more specific symbol that could better represent its vast product range and distribution network.
There has been a noticeable shift towards a cleaner, simpler design aesthetic, reflecting the move towards a global e-commerce marketplace focused on smooth experiences and client satisfaction.
The Influential Amazon Logo
The impact of the Amazon logo design on the business’s brand identity and recognition has been deep. The simple yet iconic design has developed through various stages, with each iteration attempting to capture Amazon’s dedication to delivering exceptional buying experiences, customer satisfaction, and a vast product distribution network.
Today, the Amazon logo is one of the most globally recognized icons, and Amazon Prime even has its dedicated day. The smile in the logo reflects the business’s aspiration to project reliability, backed up by its enormous product range and seamless service.
The visual identity, which combines the Amazon symbol and surrounding branding elements, has played a crucial role in shaping the business’s recognition and protecting it from negative perceptions as it has expanded. Turner Duckworth, responsible for Amazon’s logo design, has maintained a consistent approach across subsidiaries. This approach ensures visual consistency while allowing for unique elements that distinguish each unit, contributing to Amazon’s overall success.
Breaking Down The Amazon Logo Design
Amazon Font
Amazon uses the Amazon Ember font for its brand name in the logo. It is a sans-serif font that designers incorporate to convey the brand’s benevolence. This logo font, however, was specially made for Amazon.
Amazon Smile Color
Amazon has a black and yellow logo design. The brand name is in bold black to imply authority in its niche amongst consumers.
Now, the deep yellow color is not light or strikingly bright but, in fact, has a distinctive aesthetic. The arrow is in the shape of a smile, and it is yellow. The color amplifies the significance of smiling and happiness and gives off a calming and joyous feel. The designers did a remarkable and smart job adding color to the logo design back in 1998. Yellow is a warm color that people link with sunshine, friendliness and cheer. The designers did an amazing job by incorporating this color specific to Amazon’s logo design since it represents youthful energy and a playful feel.
Relevant read: Mastering Color Theory: Your Ultimate Guide.
The Amazon Arrow
The Amazon arrow keeps the design up and prominent; it has become the brand’s visual identity. This arrow stretches from the letter “A” to the letter “Z” in the Amazon text, conveying a message that the eCommerce company has everything in the store for its consumers and that they do not need to search elsewhere.
It’s A Wrap
The Amazon logo’s minimalist design, powerful concept, and practical implementation contributed to its iconic status. The Amazon smile element is easily recognizable, proving the importance of a well-designed logo. The evolution of the Amazon logo demonstrates the significance of perseverance in logo design. It’s acceptable to spend time perfecting the logo, even in the initial versions.When creating a custom logo design, it’s crucial to consider how it reflects your business’s character and communicates your desired story to clients. Amazon’s multiple logo iterations reveal that certain elements endure and stand the test of time. These precious logo elements should be retained.
Now, even though a logo design company designed Amazon’s first logo design, they continued to help and improve the design over the years. If you are planning on creating a logo design, we highly recommend that you hire a professional and affordable logo design agency such as LogoVent. We are known to deliver the best results on the first go, but if changes are ever needed, we have our client’s back. Contact us today to get started on a smooth journey towards a successful logo design that resonates with your brand image and represents it strongly!
