PayPal’s New Brand Identity and Logo Design
PayPal has rebranded with a new logo design and identity system.
Established in 1998 and purchased by eBay in 2002, PayPal is the leading digital payment company in the world with “over 148 million active accounts in 26 currencies and across 193 markets, processing more than 9 million payments daily.” If you’ve spent more than a day online you’ve likely used it to pay someone (like us) or you use it to receive payments — it’s one of the most ubiquitous digital brands today.
“With the help of award-winning design firm, fuseproject and feedback from people who use our products every day, our new brand identity flexes to fit all screen sizes, from wearables and mobile to the biggest, flattest high-definition TVs. It’ll be more legible and recognizable in both type and colours and will easily extend to be usable across the look/feel of various systems, and in the 193 markets we serve worldwide. Connection is a motivating principle behind the redesign — connection to money, to people and between people. It was important to evoke connection that was human and approachable, not too technical,” PayPal Press Release.
PayPal’s original white logo got replaced by a blue version in 2007, and was updated with slightly rounder type in 2012. But those changes didn’t address the rise of mobile and the need for a simpler, more compact symbol that worked well on mobile devices, embedded within apps, and on storefronts.
The new symbol combines a double-P “monogram” with a modified “PayPal” logotype. The monogram, which Marcus likens to Nike’s distinctive “swoosh,” is meant to allude to people coming together, a major theme of PayPal’s television campaign. It will also become the new icon for PayPal’s mobile app, and appear alone in other contexts as well.
“PayPal is the original innovator in digital payments, but its visual identity was designed for a web 1.0 desktop era. The fuseproject brand and user experience team jumped at the opportunity to create a new PayPal identity that would better represent its pioneering history and address its goals for mobile, online and real world growth,” fuseproject..
“We focused on two key themes for design: connection and forwardness. For connection, we designed a new monogram with overlapping double P and transparent effect to emphasise human connection. For forwardness, we strengthened the italics that have always been a part of the PayPal logo — harking back to the brand’s heritage, and affirming a forward thinking spirit,” fuseproject.
“Working closely with PayPal, we designed an identity to better express its innovative DNA and future as the leader in digital payments. The result is a system with a bolder wordmark, stronger monogram, more vibrant colours and a dynamic angle graphic that increases user perceptions of trust and innovation,” fuseproject.
The voice of Powering The People Economy is expressed through People-isms: simple pieces of language that elevate our product features into moments of personal empowerment. People-isms capture what we do best, and how we enable folks to get what they want and demonstrate our understanding of their lives, while celebrating the human spirit,” PayPal Press Release.
The video looking at the process and new logo design.
PayPal is a great example of a brand evolving to suit digital technologies and engaging with the new type of customer. The new logo is a good evolution from the previous logo. The overlapping of the two “P”s combine to create the idea of connection and transparency, which are important values of a brand in the financial industry. My only concern is the new logo is very “on-trend” and it will age, seeing PayPal rebrand in another 5-7 years.
What do you think of the new PayPal logo?
Category: Brand Identity