Microsoft Bing, aka Bing, is a search engine that was officially launched in June 2009. It emerged from a series of earlier search engines developed by Microsoft, including MSN Search and Live Search. The Bing logo has undergone several transformations since its inception, which reflect the evolution of Microsoft’s search engine and its branding strategies.
In fact, Bing represents a significant rebranding effort from the previous search engines of Microsoft, including Live Search and MSN Search. The article delves into the various timelines of the Bing’s logo evolution and highlights key design changes.
The Genesis of the Microsoft Bing Logo (1998 – 2000)
Before Bing, the search engine was called msn search and the logo consisted of two parts. The upper part of the logo had a red and white diagonal oval-shaped emblem containing the wordmark “msn.’ On the bottom right corner of the emblem was the small red wordmark “Microsoft” in a sans-serif typeface. Beneath the wordmark was the wordmark “Search” in black italics and placed against a white background.
(2000 – 2001)
In the subsequent iteration of the msn logo, the redesigned emblem and the wordmarks were placed in a single line. Here, the left part of the logo featured the wordmark “msn” in bold lowercase and in a blue colour scheme. On its top corner appeared a beautiful butterfly donning the colours of the Windows emblem. On the right but at a distance was placed the wordmark “Search” in blue and in a Windows font.
(2001 – 2006)
In 2001, the redesigned logo saw the colour shade of the butterfly emblem and the wordmarks softened a little. The wordmarks were made smaller as well to make the logo look more elegant.
(2006 – 2007)
In 2006, the search engine was renamed Microsoft Live Search and featured the Windows emblem inside a grey circle. On the right was placed the wordmark “Windows Live Search” in a black sans-serif typeface.
(2007 – 2009)
In 2007, the logo saw the grey circle on the left removed and the Windows emblem increased in size. On the right was placed just the wordmark “Live Search” in a Windows font.
(2009 – 2013)
In 2009, the search engine was renamed “Bing, and the logo featured a simple yet rounded bold name, “bing,” in a custom typeface and in wide lowercase letters. The initial design was characterised by a clean, sans-serif font and a bright blue colour scheme that conveyed a sense of modernity and accessibility. Also, there was a yellow dot above the letter “i” with an uppercut. This logo aimed to create a memorable identity distinct from its predecessors. It established Bing as a fresh entry in the search engine market.
(2013) (Unused)
In yet another logo update of Bing, the brand name was represented in yellow using a Segoe typeface. On the left of the logo featured a yellow-coloured emblem in the shape of an arrowhead pointing right.
(2013 – 2016)
The logo was updated again in September 2013 to enhance its visual appeal and align it more closely with the overall Microsoft branding. This redesign included a slight adjustment in the font style to make it more contemporary. In the emblem, the previous arrowhead image was replaced with a flying boomerang image in a different shade of yellow. The initial letter of the wordmark was changed into lowercase.
(2016 – 2020)
The 2016 redesign saw the colour yellow giving way to intense green and the first letter of the wordmark being capitalised again. The flying boomerang emblem was refined, and the separating triangle at the bottom was done away with. The green colour of the logo added a sense of success and growth to the brand. It made the overall logo look more serious and stronger.
(2020)
In 2020, the redesigned logo featured a gradient three-dimensional emblem and the wordmark in a light-silver and white colour palette. The wordmark was shown in a flat grey colour scheme.
(2020 – Present)
In October 2020, Microsoft rebranded Bing as “Microsoft Bing,” which was accompanied by another logo update. This version showcased a refined typeface that aligned with other Microsoft products to promote brand unity. The colour palette became more vibrant and incorporated the Windows shades of blue, green, yellow, and red. This design aimed to convey innovation and accessibility. It reinforced Bing’s identity as part of the broader Microsoft family.
(2020 – Present) (Secondary)
In addition to the previous logo, another version that made the cut features the flying boomerang emblem in various shades of gradient blue. The wordmark “Bing” in title case is shown to the right of the emblem in grey.
The Elements of the Bing Logo
Font
The Bing logo features a customised version of Microsoft’s corporate typeface, Segoe, to highlight the logo’s connection to the Microsoft brand. Notably, the “i” and “n” are consistent with their design in the Windows logo. Also, the top cut of the letter “b” is similar to the style of the letter “t” in the primary Microsoft logo.
Colour
Since its debut in 2009, the logo has undergone several colour changes. Initially, it used a blue and yellow palette, which transitioned to a solely yellow design in 2013. Thereafter, the logo embraced the Windows colour palette of red, green, blue, and yellow.
The History of Bing
The roots of Bing can be traced back to MSN Search, which was launched in 1998. Initially, MSN Search relied on search results from Inktomi and later incorporated data from Looksmart and AltaVista. By 2004, Microsoft began developing its own web crawler to improve search capabilities. This led to a more robust indexing system that was fully operational by 2005.
In 2006, Microsoft rebranded MSN Search as Windows Live Search in an effort to modernise its search offerings. However, the name did not resonate well with users and triggered further changes. So, by recognising the need for a fresh identity, Microsoft decided to rebrand Windows Live Search as Bing.
On May 28, 2009, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced Bing at the All Things Digital conference, with the official launch conducted on June 3, 2009. The name “Bing” was chosen for its simplicity and memorability. It reflected the sound associated with discovery and decision-making. This rebranding aimed to create a distinct identity in a market dominated by Google.
Bing introduced several innovative features upon its launch. These included search suggestions during query input and an “Explore pane” that provided related searches. These features leveraged semantic technology acquired through Microsoft’s purchase of Powerset in 2008. Additionally, in July 2009, Microsoft formed a significant partnership with Yahoo!.
Following its launch, Bing continued to evolve. In February 2010, Microsoft partnered with Facebook to integrate social search capabilities into Bing. It allowed users to see results based on their social network interactions. This partnership enhanced the relevance of search results by incorporating social data.
A major milestone occurred in July 2015 with the release of Windows 10, which integrated Bing deeply into the operating system through the Cortana voice assistant. This integration helped increase user engagement with Bing. In June 2017, Bing introduced visual search capabilities, which enabled users to conduct searches using images rather than text. This innovation contributed to Bing surpassing Yahoo! as the world’s second-largest search engine at that time.
The introduction of AI features marked another significant evolution for Bing. In February 2023, Microsoft launched an overhaul known as “The New Bing,” which included an AI-powered chatbot feature called Bing Chat (later renamed Copilot). This feature utilised OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology to provide conversational responses and personalised search experiences. By March 2023, Bing reached a significant milestone of 100 million active daily users.
Bing’s commitment to innovation continued into late 2023 as well with ongoing enhancements based on user feedback and technological advancements. The integration of AI-driven features has positioned Bing as a competitive player in the search engine market. It aims to redefine how users interact with search technology.
Interesting Facts About Bing
- Bing was launched in June 2009 as a rebranding of Microsoft’s previous search engines, such as Live Search and MSN Search. It aimed to provide a more organised and user-friendly search experience.
- In the USA, about 50% of its citizens have Bing as their default search engine.
- About 71% of Bing users are more than 35 years old. (Source: Market.us.)
- About 43% of Bing users are married (Source: Market.us).
- About 50% of Bing users are graduates (Market.us).
- About 50% of Bing users are women (Market.us).
- The average click-through rate (CTR) of Bing is 2.83%. (Source: WordStream.)
- As of 2024, Bing is the second-largest search engine globally. It holds a market share of approximately 3.64%, significantly behind Google, which dominates with about 90.91%.
- Google is the most searched item on Bing as of 2024.
- Every day about 900 million searches take place on Bing (Source: Bright Edge).
- Bing boasts around 100 million active users daily, who contribute to approximately 13.9 billion searches each month.
- The platform records over 500 million unique visitors monthly. This indicates a steady user base despite its smaller market share compared to Google.
- The user demographic skews older, with about 71% of users aged 35 or older. Interestingly, Bing is particularly popular among console users, where it captures 54.68% of the market share due to being the default search engine on Xbox.
- In 2023, Bing generated approximately $12.21 billion in ad revenue, which reflects its effectiveness as an advertising platform. This is a significant increase from the previous year’s revenue of $6.42 billion.
- In February 2023, Microsoft introduced Bing Chat, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology. This allowed users to engage in more conversational searches and receive tailored responses. This feature has been well received, with Bing achieving a performance score of 92.4%, which surpassed other chatbots, including ChatGPT-3.5.
- Bing was one of the first major search engines to introduce visual search capabilities in 2017. This feature allowed users to conduct searches using images rather than text.
- Bing is accessible in 238 countries and supports searches in 105 different languages.
- Bing is arguably the most used search engine in China. It captures nearly 32.95% of the market there, while it holds a significant presence among US users as well.
Finally
The Bing logo and its various variants reflect Microsoft’s broader branding strategy and its commitment to creating a cohesive identity across its services. Each redesign not only aimed to modernise the appearance but also to communicate the functionality and reliability that users expect from Microsoft’s search engine. As technology continues to evolve, it is likely that the Bing logo will adapt further to meet changing consumer expectations and design trends.