While the logo of the Japanese personal care company Shiseido went through an update in 2016, the overall style of the design remained pretty much the same.
Both the current Shiseido logo and the old one featured the name of the brand in a pretty similar sans serif type. The type would have looked generic if not for the “s’s.” The glyphs have an unusual shape – they look as if the curves of a regular “s” have been slightly straightened. The first “S” is larger than the second one.
The old logo was purple, while the current one is red. Also, the type was slightly thinner on the old logo, while the current version looks bolder.
The original Shiseido logo was created at the beginning of the 1990s and has barely changed by today. It was composed of a logotype set on a plain white background, which could turn any color depending on the product line and its packaging. The logotype was set in the uppercase of a modern and a bit extended sans-serif typeface, where all letters looked pretty simple except for two similar “S”s, which were stretched both horizontally and vertically, looking like stylized waves. This letter shape became iconic in no time and today is instantly associated with the famous Japanese cosmetic manufacturer.
The visual identity of Shiseido is built according to all the main canons of the Asian sense of beauty and understanding of elegance. Its minimalist logotype with just two unique details in it is executed in a lightweight sans-serif typeface with clean wide contours of the letters, standing for finesse and sophistication. The custom typeface, designed exclusively for Shiseido, is based on such fonts as Todes Bold or Blacker Sans Pro Text ExtraBold, but with both letters “S” softened and stretched.
The red and white color palette of the brand represents power and beauty, but sometimes it can be changed to monochrome or light silver and gold shades, depending on the product packaging. The iconic logotype looks strong and chic in all the colors it can be seen in, as there is something unique and powerful in its character.