Few minimalist logos are as recognized and admired in design as the FedEx logo. This visual masterpiece, representing one of the world’s largest logistics and shipping services, is cited as one of the greatest logos ever designed.
Founded in 1971 by Yale fellow Frederick W. Smith as Federal Express with the mission to accommodate time-sensitive shipments, FedEx went on to become synonymous with the express courier industry.
Known for its simplicity and clever use of negative space, the logo has received over forty international design awards. But the design that we see today has a journey of its own.
Let’s dive deep into the history of one of the most impactful and acclaimed logo designs.
1971 – 1994: The Federal Express Era
The story of the logo began in 1971 with the formation of Federal Express Corporation.
The founder had incorporated the word “federal” in the name to emphasize interest in nationwide economic activity and to resonate with the Federal Reserve, whom he desired as a client.
The debut logo, now known as the old FedEx logo, featured the original wordmark “Federal Express” in bold, all caps lettering and a stylized font. Designers decided to enclose this wordmark in a rectangular box in a slanted manner. The word “Federal” was in white on a purple background, and “Express” in orange on a white background, thus creating a strong contrast.
The logo continued for nearly two decades as FedEx grew rapidly and expanded its services to Canada, Europe, and Asia.
1991 – 1994: The Transition Era
Long before Federal Express rebranded itself, the abbreviated term ‘FedEx’ was already a common name among the masses to address the shipping service. In 1989, the company acquired its major competitor, Flying Tiger International, and became the largest full-service cargo airline in the world. Having achieved this status, the company needed a brand identity update.
In 1991, the company introduced an abbreviated logo, ‘FedEx’, to make it simpler and more relatable. With the rectangle and the background color removed, it was an all-text logo. The lettering was thick, bold, and uppercase in a modern font with round edges. This time, designers kept the text straight, making it look more formal. Moreover, the split coloring with FED in purple and EX in orange maintained the contrast.
The lettermark is essentially a transition between the original symbol and the classic logo introduced later in 1994.
1994 – Present: The Iconic FedEx Logo
In 1994, Federal Express formally rebranded itself as FedEx. Designer Lindon Leader of Landon Associates, worked on creating a minimalist and compelling design, and that’s how the famous logo came into existence.
With a renewed typeface, the letters look cleaner and more geometric. Leader used both uppercase and lowercase letters and removed the space between them, giving it a unified look.
Using purple for “Fed” and orange for “Ex”, the two-color system was retained. The adhered characters “d” and “E” are starkly differentiated with the effective use of split coloring.
The most legendary feature is the hidden arrow in the FedEx logo, pointing towards the right, which is formed as a result of negative space between the letters “E” and “x”. To achieve this, Leader created a custom typeface by carefully combining elements of two fonts, Univers 67 and Futura Bold.
The arrow emphasizes speed and precision, and its subtle placement in the design revolutionized the concept of brand design. Rightly so, the logo bagged dozens of prestigious awards worldwide.
Logos of Various FedEx Services
In the year 2000, when FedEx’s parent company FDX changed its name to FedEx Corporation, it standardized the names of its services. To distinguish its express shipping offering from others, it was named FedEx Express.
The logo incorporated the wordmark Express in thin lettering and purple color. A similar style was followed for other subsidiaries, such as FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Trade Networks (now FedEx Logistics). Originally, they were distinguished using different color variations in “Ex”, such as green for FedEx Ground, blue for FedEx Custom Critical, and yellow for FedEx Trade Networks. The ‘Fed’ part stayed purple in all of them.
The logo of FedEx Office, a subsidiary that works as a retail store for Express and Ground, incorporates a multi colored symbol. It has four colors: Green, Orange, Blue in peripheral, and Purple in the center, thus combining Express (orange), Ground (green), Custom Critical (blue) under one roof (purple) of FedEx.
Additionally, the logo of FedEx Home Delivery, a service introduced by FedEx Ground in 2000 to focus on residential deliveries across America, bears the vector image of a dog holding a package. Also referred to as the FedEx dog logo, it was gradually phased out.
In August 2016, FedEx announced that it would standardize the purple and orange palette for all its subsidiaries.
FedEx Logo with Tagline
The viral campaign of FedEx with its tagline ‘Where Now Meets Next’ features an alternate version of the logo with color modification for the ‘Fed’ part and the Express wordmark, while the purple is used in the background.
Finally
The FedEx logo stands as a testament to the incredible journey of the shipping company and its transformation into a global logistics giant. It’s a classic example of how visual communication contributes to a brand’s success.
As FedEx revolutionized the shipment industry, its logo emerged as a symbol of brilliance, consistency, and effective branding. A true embodiment of a masterful design, which is both minimal and subliminal.
FAQs
1. What font is the FedEx logo?
The FedEx logo is a customized mix of two fonts: Univers 67 and Futura Bold.
2. What color is the FedEx logo
The FedEx logo has two colors. Purple is used for ‘Fed,’ and Orange is used for ‘Ex’.
3. What does the FedEx logo represent?
The FedEx logo is the namesake and wordmark of the brand itself. Originally known as Federal Express, the name was shortened and rebranded to FedEx in 1994. Since then, the FedEx logo has been the visual identity of the brand.
4. What does the hidden arrow in the FedEx logo symbolize?
The hidden arrowin the FedEx logo symbolizes speed, precision, and reliability. In the designer Lindon Leader’s own words, “the arrow subtly suggests getting from point A to point B reliably, with speed and precision”.