The old Snapchat logo was the app’s original ghost icon that it used from 2011 up until late 2016. The simple yet iconic ghost shape became synonymous with Snapchat in its early years. However, in 2016, Snapchat rebranded and introduced a new more stylized Snapchat logo and icon, changing the app’s visual identity. The old Snapchat ghost logo remains a recognizable symbol of the early days of the popular social media app.
History of the Old Snapchat Logo
Snapchat first launched in the iOS App Store in July 2011, created by co-founders Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown as a photo messaging app. The app’s icon featured a white ghost in a white rounded square on a yellow background. This very simple icon was meant to represent a friendly ghost capturing a photo and sending it off.
The ghost shape itself had no facial features – just two oval eyes and a half oval mouth. Some liken it to a basic emoji-style ghost. This simple geometric logo was easy to render at small sizes, like app icon proportions, yet still recognizable.
This original Snapchat ghost logo icon remained the same through the app’s first 5 years, even as Snapchat quickly grew from niche app to mainstream social media giant. By late 2016, Snapchat had over 150 million daily active users globally.
However, in September 2016, Snapchat rebranded itself with a new logo, and the old simple ghost icon was retired after over 5 years as Snapchat’s logo.
Meaning Behind the Old Logo
The old Snapchat ghost logo was meant to be friendly and approachable. The app creators wanted something that felt casual and fun rather than overly polished or corporate. The logo helped represent Snapchat as a playful, low-pressure social app compared to more serious platforms like Facebook.
The ghost shape specifically ties into the ephemeral nature of Snapchat’s photo and video “Snaps” that disappear after being viewed. The ghost captures a moment, just like a Snap, that is fleeting and temporary. This plays on thespooky connotations of ghosts being fleeting entities themselves.
The old logo’s white minimalist ghost design evoked a sense of transparency and clarity as well. This built on Snapchat’s emphasis on authenticity and showing real life as it happens.
The logo color scheme of white, black, and yellow furthered the friendly, approachable vibe. White is clean and modern, black adds contrast, and yellow brings warmth and energy. This color palette came to represent Snapchat for years.
Overall, the old Snapchat logo did an excellent job establishing the app’s identity. It encapsulated the service’s values in a simple, relatable, and visually distinctive icon that users came to know and love.
Evolution to the New Logo
After over 5 years, Snapchat unveiled a new logo on September 27, 2016. It featured the same iconic ghost shape but with a full body and bolder, more defined lines. The snapchat name was also added under the ghost in an all-new wordmark.
This new ghost logo aimed to modernize Snapchat’s look while still maintaining the friendly spirit of the original. The simple circular eyes became more expressive with white highlights. The new Snapchat wordmark used thick, rounded sans-serif font to continue feeling approachable.
The redesign also added flexibility for the ghost to appear in different poses and positions. He could hold a phone, wink, wear headphones, and much more, opening creative options for branding.
Additionally, the more detailed ghost shape with a body allowed for bolder colors besides just white. Giving the ghost a colored costume or props helped showcase Snapchat’s fun side.
This major rebrand signaled Snapchat’s continued growth into an innovative social media leader. While the iconic ghost remained, the new logo adapted Snapchat’s identity for the future.
Reception of the New Logo
Response to Snapchat’s new ghost logo in 2016 was mixed, with some pushback from users who loved the simplicity of the original. However, as Snapchat continued to expand its features and filters in the years since, most users came to embrace the lively new ghost.
Today, the new Snapchat logo is instantly recognizable, often seen wearing the company’s signature yellow or donning the latest augmented reality lens. This rebrand helped propel Snapchat as it competed with ever-larger social media rivals and went public in early 2017 at a $33 billion valuation.
While diehard fans still have nostalgia for the old logo, the new ghost arguably aligned better with Snapchat’s evolution into a colorful, creative social app powerhouse. The original minimalist logo remains a beloved piece of Snapchat history that established its brand, though.
Notable Features of the Old Logo
Let’s recap key details about the original, iconic Snapchat ghost logo and icon:
– White minimalist line drawing of a simple ghost shape – oval eyes, half oval mouth
– No other facial features or details on the ghost
– Ghost graphic enclosed in a white rounded square
– Yellow background color
– Black for the outline and interior of the ghost shape
– Clean, geometric, emoji-like art style
– Debuted in 2011 with launch of Snapchat
– Remained unchanged as app logo until 2016 redesign
– Used as app icon and logo across Snapchat’s brand during its rise to success
This simple but effective logo design encapsulated Snapchat’s identity in its early years and remains a beloved icon today.
Use in Marketing and Products
During its 5+ years as Snapchat’s logo, the old ghost graphic appeared widely in Snapchat’s marketing, products, swag, and more. Here are some examples:
– App icon from 2011 to 2016 – the primary use case
– Splash screen logo people saw when opening Snapchat
– Digital advertising creative and social media profile pictures
– Stickers and filters featuring the ghost that overlaid Snaps
– Swag like t-shirts, hats, phone cases with the logo sold by Snapchat
– Ghost plush toys and other products Snapchat made to promote itself
– Branding at Snapchat’s corporate and event properties
This consistent use of the ghost logo made it ubiquitous with Snapchat and synonymous with the brand during its rapid growth phase. The icon was critical to Snapchat’s marketing and identity from the start.
Comparison to Other Social Media Logos
Snapchat’s original ghost logo stood out with its radically simple design next to logos of other major social networks in the early 2010s:
Platform | Logo |
---|---|
Blue lowercase “f” wordmark | |
Retro camera icon | |
Blue bird icon | |
Snapchat | Minimalist white ghost icon |
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter logos used familiar symbols like a camera, bird, or stylized letter that felt more grounded in the physical world. Snapchat’s ghost by contrast looked more playful, imaginary, and digital-native.
The bold simplicity of Snapchat’s logo design fit the app’s ephemeral photo sharing function. The casual, cute ghost character differentiated Snapchat from the social media establishment as it emerged.
Significance in Pop Culture
As Snapchat took off, its signature ghost logo gained cultural significance and appeared widely in pop culture contexts beyond just the app:
– Celebrities and public figures added ghost emoji next to their names on other social media platforms to signify they were also on Snapchat. The ghost said “Follow me on Snapchat too!” without having to spell it out.
– Fans and online artists created tons of fan art and comics featuring the Snapchat ghost to pay tribute to the app. This cemented its status as an icon.
– Media about youth and social media trends frequently showed the Snapchat ghost to visually represent the rise of ephemeral social media. It was shorthand for “sharing temporary photos.”
– TV shows and movies that wanted to reference Snapchat would mock up the app’s interface and fill it with the ghost logo. The ghost meant “this is Snapchat” to audiences immediately.
– Musicians and artists incorporated the ghost in lyrics, album art, music videos, and more as a cultural symbol of the Snapchat generation.
In many ways, the friendly minimalist Snapchat ghost grew bigger than the app itself as a pop culture icon and visual shorthand for ephemeral photo sharing.
Conclusion
The old Snapchat logo featuring a simple white ghost on a yellow background was an integral part of the app’s identity from 2011 to 2016. This clean, minimal icon visually represented Snapchat’s fun, casual, ephemeral approach to photo sharing in a way that felt whimsical and digital-native.
While Snapchat has moved on to a more stylized and expressive ghost logo, the original still holds cultural significance. It epitomizes the rise of Snapchat and the app’s impact on how millions share life’s moments today. That friendly ghost is now an iconic piece of visual branding and social media history.