Bath & Body Works is a USA-based cosmetics brand that sells a wide range of products, such as body care cosmetics, bath and shower hygienic products, and fragrances. Headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, the company came into existence in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio. The aim of the company is to revolutionise the personal care industry through unique scents and luxurious products. Its logo did not change much and mirrors the unprecedented growth of the company over the years. The article explores the two logos representing the company over the years, among other details.
The Genesis of the Bath & Body Works Logo (1990 – 2004)
In its earliest years, the brand’s visual identity was crafted to evoke freshness, relaxation, and a connection to nature. The original logo featured a verdant green background with a semi-circular motif in white. It resembled the rising sun or radiant horizon—surrounded by stylised wave-like patterns.
The brand name, “Bath & Body Works”, appeared in an elegant white sans-serif typeface, with the ampersand (“&”) seamlessly connecting “Bath” and “Body Works”. This design, with its serene green palette, underscored the brand’s commitment to wellness and nature-inspired products.
(2004 – Present)
In 2004, Bath & Body Works unveiled a new logo that remains in use today. The redesign replaced the original natural motif with a more modern, type-based approach. The updated logo features slender, sans-serif typography, which looks similar to the Avant-Garde Gothic Book Cyrillic family. Each character of the logo is finely cut and delicately spaced.
The ampersand continues to play a central role, for it maintains the sense of unity between “Bath” and “Body Works”. The colour palette shifted to a blend of sky blue and white to evoke purity, trustworthiness, and clarity. This clean, contemporary look reflects the brand’s focus on quality and its aspiration to be easily identifiable and memorable.
The Elements of the Bath & Body Works Logo
Font
The wordmark forming the Bath & Body Works logo is written using a light sans-serif typeface. The typeface has similarities to the Avant-Garde Gothic Book Cyrillic category. Here, the thin letters of the wordmark are placed at a certain distance from each other. Besides, the words appear to be separate and not merged.
Colour
The colour palette used by the Bath & Body Works logo is sky blue and white. The colour combination creates a sense of reliability and cleanliness and reflects the brand’s concept.
The History of Bath & Body Works
Bath & Body Works was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio. It was originally established as the beauty line for Express, Inc., a clothing retailer owned by The Limited (later L Brands). The first Bath & Body Works store opened in September 1990 at a mall in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In its earliest days, Bath & Body Works stores were often physically connected to the Express stores in shopping malls to allow shoppers to move easily between the two.
Shortly after its launch, Bath & Body Works was sued by The Body Shop in 1991 for similarities in branding. This led to a significant rebranding effort, which included the creation of a fictional mascot named Kate, who was presented as the brand’s founder. Store layouts were redesigned to resemble Kate’s country house, which gave Bath & Body Works a distinctive and homey “Heartland” aesthetic. This approach became its signature style through the early 2000s.
By 1997, Bath & Body Works had become the largest bath shop chain in the United States. The same year, the company launched “Bath & Body Works at Home”, which was a secondary brand focused on home products. In 1999, the White Barn Candle Company was introduced as a division that specialised in scented candles.
During this period, Bath & Body Works was part of a broader portfolio of retail brands owned by The Limited (which later became L Brands), which included Victoria’s Secret, Express, and others. The company’s growth was fuelled by its focus on personal care, home fragrance, and a welcoming in-store experience.
In 2006, Bath & Body Works launched both a seasonal catalogue and its first e-commerce website. These helped it reach beyond brick-and-mortar stores. The same year, the first television commercial made by the company was telecast, which marked a new era of national marketing. By January 2006, Bath & Body Works reported net sales of $2.3 billion, which made it the top-performing brand within L Brands aside from Victoria’s Secret.
In 2008, Bath & Body Works began its international expansion by opening six stores in Canada. In doing so, it leveraged the acquisition of Canadian lingerie retailer La Senza as a strategic entry point. The brand’s global footprint continued to grow, and in 2010, it opened its first stores outside North America in Kuwait through a franchise partnership with M. H. Alshaya Co. Throughout this period, Bath & Body Works continued to innovate. It introduced new product lines and updated its packaging and store designs to keep pace with changing consumer preferences.
Bath & Body Works was long part of L Brands, which also owned Victoria’s Secret and other retail brands. In February 2020, L Brands announced plans to sell a majority stake in Victoria’s Secret. It did so to focus on Bath & Body Works as its core business. Although the sale was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company moved forward with a strategic separation.
In March 2021, L Brands announced it would spin off Victoria’s Secret as a standalone publicly traded company and rebrand itself as Bath & Body Works, Inc. The split was completed on August 3, 2021, and Bath & Body Works began trading under the ticker symbol BBWI on the New York Stock Exchange.
Now operating as an independent public company, Bath & Body Works is a global leader in personal care and home fragrance. It has more than 1,890 company-operated stores in the U.S. and Canada, over 525 international franchised locations, and a robust online presence.
The brand’s best-selling products include fine fragrance mists, body lotions, body creams, 3-wick candles, home fragrance diffusers, and liquid hand soaps. In 2023, Bath & Body Works relocated its entire production system to the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio. This way, it brought several suppliers to the U.S. to improve supply chain efficiency and reduce shipping delays.
Interesting Facts About Bath & Body Works
- Bath & Body Works was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio, and it quickly became a household name in the U.S. and abroad.
- By 1997, it had already become the largest bath shop chain in the United States.
- The company operates more than 1,890 stores in the U.S. and Canada and over 525 international franchised locations. It has stores on all six continents.
- There are also 80 stores worldwide in countries such as Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand.
- Japanese Cherry Blossom, which was launched in 2006, is the number one fragrance collection in the USA. It sells over 30.2 million products each year and holds the title of the best-selling scent of all time in the company’s portfolio.
- At any given time, Bath & Body Works offers products in 138 different scents, and they release new fragrances every three to four weeks—about 200 new scents each year.
- Bath & Body Works isn’t just for women—the brand also features a line of men’s products with popular scents like Mahogany Woods and Alpine Suede.
- The fine fragrance mist is the brand’s best-selling product. It is loved by fans for its light, long-lasting scent.
- In addition to lotions and soaps, Bath & Body Works is a top retailer for candles. It is arguably the number one retailer in America for body lotion, body cream, body wash, body fragrance, hand soap, and hand sanitiser.
- After a lawsuit from The Body Shop in 1991, Bath & Body Works created a fictional founder named Kate. Stores were designed to look like Kate’s country house, which gave them a cosy and inviting atmosphere.
- There’s a strong nostalgia factor among fans, with entire websites dedicated to vintage Bath & Body Works products and throwbacks to the ‘90s.
- Due to high demand, Bath & Body Works regularly re-releases discontinued favourites from the ‘90s. These include Peony, Cotton Blossom, and Cucumber Melon.
- Sweet Pea, which was launched in 2000, is the oldest Bath & Body Works scent still available and remains a customer favourite.
- The company actively engages fans through social media. It offers sale notifications and inspiration on platforms like Facebook and Pinterest.
- Fans have even created edible Bath & Body Works gummy soap bottles as a quirky party treat.
- Bath & Body Works became an independent public company in August 2021 when it separated from its former parent company, L Brands.
- In 2023, the company moved its entire production system to the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio. This way, it brought suppliers to the U.S. to improve efficiency and reduce shipping delays.
Finally
The Bath & Body Works logo has evolved from a nature-inspired design to a sleek, modern wordmark that emphasises clarity, unity, and approachability. The logo evolution reflects the growth of the brand from a single Ohio store to a global leader in personal care and home fragrance.