Amazon Logo History from A to Z (2024)

Do you know the story behind famous logos? If not, let’s look at one of the biggest online e-commerce companies today.

Amazon has its beginnings in the garage of Jeff Bezos. They sold mail-ordered books and later expanded to accommodate other movie and music industries.

Interestingly, the famous online retailer was named Cadaber, but when a lawyer misheard the name for Cadaver, Bezos changed the name to Amazon.

Let’s dive deeper into the history of the brand through its logo. It’s had a total of six logo changes. Join us as we look through each of amazon's logo images and explain why they worked and didn’t work, hence the rebranding of the logo.

Amazon Logo History

Ever wonder why Bezos chose Amazon as the name of his company?

The answer is that A is the first letter of the alphabet. But the most noteworthy fact about the creation of the business’ name is that Jeff chose it because Amazon is the largest river, and he was creating the world’s largest bookstore.

Since its establishment, weekly, Amazon’s revenue has been $20,000 from delivering books to 45 countries. However, investors got frustrated since Amazon’s growth was slow.

The estimated timeframe for the company to be profitable was four to five years since Amazon wanted to focus on expansion and growth. But that estimation was rendered false. After the dot-com bubble burst, Amazon became the leading savior of 2000 for online shops, despite their decline. And by 2001, the company had a $5 million profit and continued to grow.

Amazon Logo Meaning

Now we know how Amazon became this huge e-commerce company that we know today. Let’s get into what the amazon logo means today.

Thus, join us as we go down memory lane and look at Amazon’s logo history from A to Z. There are six designs, so let’s go through amazon’s old and new logos together.

1995-1997 Logo

Amazon Logo History from A to Z (1)

The design started as minimalist—this is amazon’s original logo. The letter A is in black with a squiggly line originating from the left side of the letter. The line represents the Amazon river, making the graphic into a negative space logo. It’s simple yet able to stand out amongst the competition.

1997-1998 Logo

Amazon Logo History from A to Z (2)

Next, we still have the letter A with a squiggly line across it, but the design of the letter A is modified. Here, we can see that the Amazon river now runs from the middle instead of the upper left corner. And the letter A is filled with horizontal lines that accentuate the river’s shape and make it look like a zebra. It’s quirky and grabs the attention of both existing and new customers.

1998 Logos

Amazon Logo History from A to Z (3)

Two logos came into existence this year. The first one was in plain text, saying amazon.com in a serif typeface. Under that was the slogan, Earth’s Biggest Library, in all caps with a sans-serif.

Amazon Logo History from A to Z (4)

The design felt too serious for the branding—a second logo was born. Ditching the slogan, the word amazon.com was the highlight of the graphic. It had a prominent letter O that was a bit bigger than the other letters, and the color was yellow.

Both worked because one had a slogan, and the other incorporated a different color to the wordmark logo.

1998-2000 Logo

Amazon Logo History from A to Z (5)

Later in 1998, we finally saw the final wordmark of the company. They used Officina Sans typography for amazon.com. The wordmark had the signature swish under it, forming a slight arch representing the connection between the past and future.

2000-Present Logo

Amazon Logo History from A to Z (6)

Lastly, we have the logo we know and love today—amazon.com with the amazon logo arrow that’s yellow and connects from A to Z. The arrow forms a smile which Amazon is hoping you feel when you get your parcel.

Amazon Logo History from A to Z (7)

Amazon Logo History from A to Z (8)

Now, amazon has square logos and logo apparel for their app, employees, and patrons worldwide. Their logo now is a symbol of success globally.

The Success Continues

That concludes our walk down Amazon logo memory lane. You now know how amazon’s cool logo came to be. Their branding’s basis is on association and who they want to become as a business.

Do you have a vision for your business yet? If not, visit our logo maker. You can choose from and edit thousands of logo templates to represent your business.

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Happy designing!

Read More On Famous Logos Here:

Written by DesignCrowd on Thursday, May 12, 2022

DesignCrowd is an online marketplace providing logo, website, print and graphic design services by providing access to freelance graphic designers and design studios around the world.

Amazon Logo History from A to Z (2024)

FAQs

Is the Amazon logo everything from A to Z? ›

The “Smile” Logo (2000-Present):

Displaying the company name in lowercase letters, the design boasted a cleverly placed arrow linking the letters “a” and “z.” This arrow played a dual role: a smile indicating customer satisfaction and a subtle nudge to Amazon's comprehensive product range – everything from A to Z.

What is the history of the Amazon logo? ›

1995-1997: The first version of the Amazon logo

This first iteration was designed by Turner Duckworth. Turner opted for a bold letter “A” that featured a vertical white line, symbolizing the Amazon River. Underneath the design, Turner included the “amazon.com” wordmark for easy identification.

How do you decode the Amazon logo? ›

The logo has an arrow that looks like a smile on the face. This conveys the happiness and satisfaction of a customer after buying from Amazon. Also, the arrow connects the letters a to the letter 'z' of the brand name, conveying the products' availability for the consumers.

Why is Amazon logo A to Z? ›

Ultimately, the 'Amazon' name became central to the visual and conceptual power behind the company's logo. Today, the iconic 'Smile' logo features an arrow starting at the letter A and ending at Z (from 'A to Z'). It's a motif that cleverly reflects Amazon's endless range of products and end-to-end delivery.

Does the Amazon logo have a meaning? ›

The current Amazon logo depicts the absolute message that they sell everything from A to Z. In addition to that, the arrow below the wordmark visualizes the smile that the customers of the company would experience by shopping on their website.

What was Apple's original logo? ›

The original logo showed Isaac Newton sitting under a tree with an apple hanging above his head and an inscription that read, 'Newton… A mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought alone.

What was Amazon's old name? ›

On July 5, 1994, Bezos initially incorporated the company in Washington state with the name Cadabra, Inc. After a few months, he changed the name to Amazon.com, Inc, because a lawyer misheard its original name as "cadaver".

Why did Amazon change their logo? ›

Amazon has quickly changed its main shopping-app logo, after commentators said the recent redesign made it look like Adolf Hitler. Launched in January, the icon depicts a strip of blue tape over an Amazon "smile" logo. But some observers said it resembled a toothbrush moustache, associated with the Nazi dictator.

Why is the Amazon logo lowercase? ›

Logo 4 – swish design, Jeff

Amazon was evolving and so was their brand. Lowercase made the brand more accessible to all (over the more stark and sharp upper case 'A') and it reflected the approach to the marketplace that Amazon has always had – it's Everything from A to Z, for everyone.

What does Amazon stand for? ›

He selected the name Amazon because it was exotic and different and as a reference to his plan for the company's size to reflect that of the Amazon River, one of the largest rivers in the world. Since its inception, the company's motto has always been "get big fast."

What is Amazon's motto? ›

Amazon's corporate slogan is "Work hard, have fun, make history." The first part of the slogan emphasizes the idea that employees should work hard to achieve their goals.

What was Amazon's first product? ›

After compiling a list of products to sell – which included compact discs, computer hardware, and computer software – Bezos finally settled on books to be the first product that he would sell online.

What is the arrow from A to Z in Amazon? ›

Amazon's logo is a clever one. There's an arrow underneath the name that starts at the A and ends at the Z. It symbolizes the company's ability to sell everything from A to Z.

What was Amazon's first logo? ›

Amazon's earliest logos, from 1995 to 1997

Amazon's very first brand mark included a very literal interpretation of its name: an image of the Amazon River against a blue background and a caption declaring itself “Earth's biggest bookstore.” In later versions, the company used a maroon color for the symbol.

What font is Amazon logo? ›

Amazon Ember is the master brand font for all Amazon products and services.

Is everything original in Amazon? ›

Over 50% of Amazon's Sales are Made by Third-Party Sellers

Counterfeiters tend to target clothing and accessories, shoes, and luxury brand handbags. However, fake product reviews, payment scams, and illegitimate sellers are also common issues that buyers should be wary of.

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