Snapchat is an instant messaging system that has become an integral part of the social media network. Established in 2011 and designed for both iOS and Android platforms, the app has garnered millions of users. The Snapchat logo has undergone several transformations since its inception.
This reflects both the brand’s identity and its evolution in the social media landscape. The logo is characterised by its playful ghost figure, which symbolises the app’s core feature of ephemeral messaging. The article explores the transformation of the Snapchat logo over the years.
The Genesis of the Snapchat Logo (July – September 2011)
The original Snapchat logo, known as Ghostface Chilian, was created in 2011 when the app was first launched under the name Picaboo. It was designed by Evan Spiegel, one of Snapchat’s co-founders. The logo depicted the character of a smiling ghost with its tongue sticking out and holding a photo in his left hand. The logo was enclosed within a yellow square frame with rounded corners. It was inspired by the American rapper Ghostface Killah from the Wu-Tang Clan.
The choice of colour was strategic; Spiegel noted that no other major app used yellow, which made it stand out. The logo featured a playful design on a combination of bright and pale-yellow background. Also, there was a shadow around the contours of the smiling ghost image.
(2011 – 2013)
The logo was redesigned after the app’s name was changed from Picaboo to Snapchat. It retained all the elements of the previous logo except for the photo held by the smiling ghost.
(June – September 2013)
In June 2013, the ghost’s face, consisting of eyes, lips, and the tiny protruding tongue, disappeared. However, the rest of the design remained the same. The rationale behind this change was to represent the diverse range of emotions of its users—each user became the face of Snapchat. However, some speculated that this redesign was influenced by legal issues that were borne out of a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by one of the original creators of Picaboo.
(2013 – 2014)
In September 2013, the background colour was changed to gradient yellow, and the shadow around the contours of the ghost image was removed.
(2014 – 2019)
In this logo redesign, the gradient yellow colour of the background was changed to pure flat yellow. The rest of the design elements remained the same.
(2019 – Present)
The most notable redesign occurred in 2019 when Snapchat introduced a thicker and darker outline around the ghost. This change aimed to enhance visibility and recognition from a distance. However, it was met with considerable backlash from users who found the new logo unappealing and aggressive-looking. Many users expressed their dissatisfaction through petitions and negative reviews on app stores, which led to a temporary decline in user engagement.
Despite the criticism, Snapchat maintained its commitment to its branding strategy. The current version features a bright yellow background with a bold black outline around the ghost. This design makes it instantly recognisable across various platforms.
The Elements of the Snapchat Logo
Symbol
The Ghostface Chilian emblem for Snapchat draws its inspiration from “Picaboo,” the original name of the app. When split into parts, “Pic a Boo” translates to “a photo of a ghost” in Spanish.
The original Snapchat logo was a cartoon ghost, which symbolised the concept of “fading shots.” It aligned with the ephemeral nature of the app. Although Snapchat doesn’t permanently delete multimedia content, it makes it inaccessible to users. So, the ghost in the logo reflects this idea: just because you can’t see something, it doesn’t mean it’s gone.
Colour
The logo features a white ghost with a bold black outline set against a yellow square with rounded corners. Initially, the logo had a gradient background with three-dimensional effects. Over time, it evolved to a clean, bright, and solid yellow backdrop. After evaluating the designs of its competitors, the team chose the Pantone Yellow U shade for the logo.
However, the current variant of the Snapchat logo uses a slightly altered yellow tone. It is brighter and more vibrant, almost acidic. The original design also included a small red patch on the lips, which represented the ghost’s tongue sticking out. It has since been removed.
The History of Snapchat
Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app that is known for its ephemeral or short-lived content. The app has an intriguing history that began in 2011 and was founded by the trio of Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown while they were students at Stanford University. The Snapchat app was initially launched as Picaboo, which allowed users to send photos that would disappear after a short time.
However, after a trademark dispute, the app was renamed Snapchat in September 2011. By May 2012, Snapchat had gained significant traction, with users sending around 25 snaps per second. The same year, it was launched on the Android platform as well. The introduction of the “Stories” feature in October 2013 allowed users to compile snaps into a narrative that would be viewable for 24 hours. This feature significantly changed user interaction with content on the platform. Thereafter, the popularity of Snapchat soared, which attracted a $3 billion acquisition offer from Mark Zuckerberg. However, the offer was declined.
In 2014, Snapchat expanded its features with geofilters and Our Story, which enabled multiple users to contribute to a single-story during events. And by the end of that year, approximately 40% of U.S. adults were using the app daily. The following year marked the introduction of Discover by partnering with media companies to provide curated content and lenses. This allowed users to apply augmented reality filters to their selfies.
By mid-2015, Snapchat had reached about 75 million monthly active users. In March 2016, the company was rebranded as Snap Inc. and went public in March 2017 to hit 150 million daily active users by June. However, Snap faced challenges from competitors like Instagram, which launched its own Stories feature in August 2016. In November 2017, Snapchat changed its Stories feed to an algorithmic format but reverted to chronological order in April 2018 after receiving user backlash.
The first Snap Partner Summit in April 2019 introduced new initiatives like Snap Originals. By June 2022, Snapchat launched Snapchat+, a subscription service that offered premium features. And by early 2023, the platform had over 2 million subscribers for this service. Overall, Snapchat’s evolution from a simple photo-sharing app to a major player in social media highlights its innovative spirit and adaptability in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
Interesting Facts About Snapchat
- Snapchat was created at Stanford University by the student trio of Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Frank Reginald Brown.
- Snapchat was launched as an iOS app from the living room of Evan Spiegel’s father.
- The original name of Snapchat was Picaboo. It was changed to Snapchat in 2012.
- Snapchat was created after 34 failures.
- About 90% of users in the 13 to 24-year age bracket use Snapchat in the USA.
- The longest Snapchat streak continues for 2315+ days.
- Snapchat users generally open the app almost 40 times a day.
- Around 4 in 10 Snapchat users say that they have discovered a new brand through celebrity endorsements and posts.
- Snapchat created a cool geofilter with Netflix.
- Snapchat is the biggest platform for ephemeral content marketing.
- The founders of Snapchat had a major fallout before the release of the app. In fact, one of the founders, Frank Reginald Brown, was removed from the Snapchat project by his friends.
- A total of 1 million snaps are sent per minute.
- About 93% of Snapchat users have sent a picture of a drink.
- The mascot of Snapchat is Ghostface Chillah.
- Both Facebook and Google have tried to buy Snapchat.
- Taco Bell is known to have paid $75,000 for 24 hours for the Taco filter ad.
- Over 50.6% of Snapchat users are said to be females.
- Snapchat introduced the world’s first vertical video ads. Since their introduction, such ads have become very popular with social media users.
- Snapchat reaches almost half of the smartphone users in the USA.
- Both Facebook and Instagram were inspired to use ephemeral content from Snapchat.
- About 75% of Gen Z and Millennials are of the view that Snapchat is the best platform to share real-life experiences.
- Snapchat users are said to have spending power of more than $4.4 trillion.
- The value of Snapchat is pegged at $23.5 billion.
Finally
The Snapchat logo and its various variants encapsulate changes in design aesthetics and shifts in brand identity and user engagement strategies. Each logo iteration reflects broader trends in social media branding and user preferences. In the future, the Snapchat logo is likely to remain an iconic symbol of ephemeral communication. It will be a testament to its innovative spirit and cultural relevance in today’s fast-paced social media environment.