After 17 Years, eBay Tones Down Its Crazy Logo

Everyone's been refreshing their logos lately. First Twitter, then Microsoft—and now it's eBay's turn to roll out a new mark, the first logo refresh since the online marketplace's founding 17 years ago this month. The old logo was iconic despite the fact—or rather, because—it was, let's be honest, butt ugly. The new logo cleans up that hot mess a little. But it generally keeps the color scheme intact—the red and blue are dialed back a bit—and keeps the letters touching one another. These are metaphorical choices, the company tells us. "Our vibrant eBay colors and touching letters represent our connected and diverse eBay community," eBay president Devin Wenig says in a statement. (Judging by the response so far on Twitter, one man's metaphor for togetherness is another man's kerning fail.) Toning down the logo is likewise meant to be metaphorical—with the streamlined mark embodying a "cleaner, more contemporary and consistent experience" offered by eBay. The new logo will begin to appear across eBay sites and channels this fall. So, how do you like it? Tell us in comments. Below is the full statement by Wenig. And you can also check out eBay's snazzy HTML5 page announcing the change. Our New Logo Seventeen years ago this month, eBay created a new way for people to buy and sell practically anything. We've since helped millions of people launch their own businesses and helped change the way the world shops for things they need and love. Today we're creating the future again. We've been building the new eBay. And today, we're proud to introduce a new look for the eBay brand. Our refreshed logo is rooted in our proud history and reflects a dynamic future. It's eBay today: a global online marketplace that offers a cleaner, more contemporary and consistent experience, with innovation that makes buying and selling easier and more enjoyable. We retained core elements of our logo, including our iconic color palette. Our vibrant eBay colors and touching letters represent our connected and diverse eBay community – more than 100 million active users and 25 million sellers globally and growing. The eBay logo is known the world over, so changing it was not a decision made lightly. The time felt right. We're incredibly proud of how eBay started and quickly grew into the world's largest online marketplace. Auction-style listings, used goods, vintage items and quirky, one-of-a-kind finds are still a big part of what makes buying and selling on eBay special. We hope that's always true. But we've evolved a lot in the past few years, and eBay is much more than auction-style listings today. Today, most items sold on eBay are new, listed at a fixed "Buy It Now!" price. Our most successful sellers ship most items free, offer returns and deliver consistently great customer service. Shop eBay today and you'll discover more visual search, making browsing for what you want simpler and more enjoyable. It's easier than ever to compare new and previously owned items, helping you decide the best value for you. This is the new eBay. On today's eBay, you can buy a rare camera from a collector and a new digital point-and-shoot from a trusted electronics seller; a vintage dress from a fashion boutique owner and a new jacket from a designer you love; or a one-of-a-kind item from someone who shares your passion. You'll also find great deals on new items from your favorite brands, retailers and local neighborhood stores. This is the new eBay. We're also creating new ways to sell and buy. eBay is a mobile commerce leader. Our mobile apps have been downloaded 100 million times, and this year we expect over $10 billion in volume transacted via mobile. Shopping anytime, anywhere? This is the new eBay. We intend to keep creating better ways to buy and sell. We'll keep helping sellers of all sizes – from individuals and small merchants to top brands and retailers – compete in today's rapidly changing world. And eBay will become more personalized, tailored to the way you want to shop. We will be local and global, giving buyers and sellers incredible choice and opportunity. In September 1995, eBay began by connecting a seller with a buyer who wanted a broken laser pointer. Today, we're still focused on connecting buyers and sellers, anytime, anywhere, to the things they need and love. Welcome to eBay today. And stay tuned. There's more to come. Devin Wenig President, eBay

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After 17 Years, eBay Tones Down Its Crazy Logo

First change since founding, but not a total departure

Tim Nudd

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