The Yellow Pages logo, which is nicknamed the “Walking Fingers,” was developed by Henry Alexander, a New England artist, more than half a century ago.
The term “yellow pages” can refer to any telephone directory of businesses organized by category and selling ads. The name appeared because such directories were printed on yellow paper to make them different from white pages used for non-commercial listings.
And yet, in quite a few countries, the words “Yellow Pages” and the Walking Fingers logo are registered trademarks.
Henry Alexander created the logo featuring a stylized hand in black over the yellow background. The two fingers are walking along the pages of a book below.
In the original design, the hand was placed inside a rectangular yellow box with rounded corners and black trim.
Here, the field right behind the hand is white, while the pages of the “book” are yellow. This approach seems more meaningful and consistent than the original logo.
The box was replaced by an abstract rounded shape resembling a drop of water on the flat surface. The white highlights and darker shades create a 3D effect. The fingers are gray and have a slightly different shape than on the earliest version.
You can also come across other versions, depending on the country. For instance, a Yellow Pages logo showcasing a stylized gold “Y” formed by a tick with a gold dot below. Another version features the black writing “yp” in lowercase letters. There is a yellow bar below.
One more version showcases the words “Yellow Pages” in white inside a black circle. The letter “o” is gold.