SoftBank Group Corp. is a Japanese strategic investment holding company founded in 1981 by Masayoshi Son as a software distributor. The name “SoftBank” literally means “a bank of software,” chosen to reflect the aspiration of becoming a key source of infrastructure for the information society. [1]
Design and History
The current SoftBank logo combines a “double-line” and “silver” brand symbol with the letters “SoftBank.” The brand symbol is designed based on the banner of the Kaientai, an enterprising shipping company founded in 1865 by Sakamoto Ryoma. The logo represents the Group’s admiration for the Kaientai’s single-minded pursuit of a vision that imagined a Japan 100 years into the future, and symbolizes the SoftBank Group’s own pursuit of its mission: “Information Revolution, Happiness for everyone.” [1]
The current identity’s prototype was introduced in December 2004, when SoftBank Group announced a new corporate identity logo. The design was inspired by the flag of the Kaientai, led by Sakamoto Ryoma, whom Masayoshi Son admires. The two yellow lines carried the meaning of the company’s dream of spreading broadband and creating a world where everyone can fairly enjoy information and entertainment. The corporate color was a single yellow (karayasu color), adopted as “Revolution Yellow,” symbolizing a bright, positive, and energetic corporate color. The “SoftBank” lettering used the Mincho (Japanese serif) typeface to express a company that aims for people’s happiness beyond digital means. [2]
The 2004 CI logo was designed by Takuya Onuki, a Tokyo-born art director who founded Onuki Design in 1993. Onuki has worked on brand communication for clients including PepsiCo, Nissin Food Products, Laforet Harajuku, and Shinchosha Publishing, and has received numerous awards including the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival Grand Prix. [2] [3]
In August 2006, when Vodafone Japan was rebranded as SoftBank Mobile, the company introduced a new brand logo based on the SoftBank Group corporate logo, but with silver instead of Revolution Yellow. The silver color was adopted to express the company’s determination to return to the origins of the mobile phone business and provide better products and services. Silver was described as the basic color of mobile phones, a realistic image that shines on its own without being affected by other colors. [4] [5]
In September 2016, SoftBank Group announced that from October 1, 2016, 13 group companies would sequentially change their brand logos. The change aimed to strategically utilize the silver “= (equal)” mark to unify the brands of group companies. [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The double-line in the SoftBank logo represents the “= (equal)” sign, symbolizing the SoftBank Group as a driver of the Information Revolution. It shows that the Group has an “answer” it can provide to customers to help solve the various problems the world faces. The double-line also expresses interactive communication and unlimited possibilities. [1]
The brand color silver is described as shining brightly on its own, unaffected by surrounding colors. Combined with the double-line, it becomes a banner that symbolizes the Information Revolution, not losing its luster with the passage of time. [1]
Typography and Design
The SoftBank wordmark uses the Mincho (Japanese serif) typeface, chosen to represent the goal of accelerating the Information Revolution to make the world a happier place while respecting history. [1] The 2004 press release similarly stated that the Mincho typeface was adopted to express SoftBank as a company aiming for people’s happiness beyond digital means. [2]
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