Shopkins are a series of very small, collectible toys made by Moose Creative Management Pty Ltd, an Australian-owned toy design, development, and distribution company established in 1985. The design of the toys, which was inspired by grocery store items, includes a recognizable face and unique name.
The history of the toy line started in 2014. By the summer of 2020, there already were 13 seasons of the toys, to say nothing of the complementary seasons like Halloween or Christmas.
However, in spite of all the updates of the toy line, the Shopkins logo has always remained unchanged. This move has helped the company to preserve the recognizability of the brand over time. We can still mention, though, that there have been some additions to the logo necessary to identify a specific series or item inside the collection.
The design focuses on the name of the brand. The authors of the logo have opted for a playful and friendly type, which also looks casual.
Neither of the letters “stands” on the line properly. Instead, they look “dancing,” and “hopping,” and even trying to steal the limelight by “showing off” their extended ends. The width of the strokes varies from rather bold to moderately thin. Yet, the bolder and thinner strokes do not form a rhythmic pattern, like in calligraphy, but rather create an unpredictable image, like the water spilled over a horizontal surface.
As a result, the wordmark adopts a carefree and childish edge, which perfectly fits the type of product it represents. Looking at the wordmark, you can’t say that it’s the result of hard work and multiple discussions (although this is the case, most certainly).
Below goes the tagline “Once you shop… You can’t stop!” in smaller letters.
Behind the lettering, there is a combination of bright green and yellow shapes. The green shape can be described either as a circle with a zigzag border or a star with multiple points. The yellow field is simpler. It looks like half of a banana. The overall impression of the logo is that it is a tag. This impression is only reinforced by the blue “thread” going through the “hole” in the yellow part of the logo.
The emblem of the Shopkins Shoppies series, which was introduced in 2017, is an example of an additional version.
The emblem comprises the primary Shopkins logo and the writing “Shoppies” below. In this version, the tagline is not used (the place where it is placed on the main logo is occupied by the word “Shoppies”). Also, the name of the series has a pink background.