Yaskawa Electric Corporation, the Japanese industrial automation company founded in 1915, introduced its current corporate logo in 2015 to mark its 100th anniversary. The Yaskawa Group announced the logo renewal on January 21, 2015, and began using the new mark across all corporate activities on March 21, 2015, as part of an effort to build a new brand toward the coming 100 years.[1]
Design and History
The current YASKAWA logo is a wordmark set in capital letters. According to the company’s official announcement, the design expresses a sense of trust and stability while achieving high visibility and legibility through its simple, uppercase lettering.[1]
The 2015 renewal was not the first change to Yaskawa’s visual identity. The company has stated that its corporate logo has gone through transitions with the times since its founding in 1915.[1] In fiscal year 2010, Yaskawa established a global logo mark to unify the Yaskawa Group in Japan and overseas.[2]
Prior to the current wordmark, the company used a symbol known as the “beauty Y” mark, which had been passed down since 1991. That mark expressed Yaskawa’s corporate posture of advancing technological innovation while placing value on harmonizing the hard (technology) and soft (people) aspects of business.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
Yaskawa’s official concept statement for the 2015 logo describes several layers of meaning. The supple curved lines express the flexibility and creativity of Yaskawa employees who create solutions to various problems, and they give an image of humanity, showing the company’s customer-oriented culture. The lines extending upward express Yaskawa’s intention to expand its global business and its potential.[1]
The corporate blue color has been a consistent element of the identity. The company’s own usage guidelines identify “Yaskawa Blue” as the primary color for the logo, with white reversed as an approved variation on blue or dark blue gradient backgrounds.[3] The blue color has been described in company materials as representing technology, trust, comprehensive strength and intelligence.[4]
Typography and Design
The 2015 logo is a typographic wordmark using capital letters, chosen specifically for their visibility and legibility.[1] The design incorporates supple curved lines within the letterforms, which the company says express flexibility, creativity and humanity.[1]
Yaskawa’s logo usage guidelines specify that the relationship between logo elements cannot be altered, the logo cannot be recreated, and no elements may be added to it. Approved variations include the Yaskawa Blue logo and a white reversed version for use on blue or dark blue gradient backgrounds. The guidelines prohibit shadows, flipping, distortion and the use of a white logo within a blue rectangle as a standalone logo.[3]
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