Vivo is a Chinese technology company headquartered in Dongguan that designs and manufactures smartphones and related smart devices. The company’s visual identity centers on a lowercase wordmark in a distinctive blue, which was comprehensively redesigned in 2019 as part of a global brand refresh.
Design and History
In January 2019, Vivo announced it was rolling out a fully upgraded brand visual identity in China, with plans to extend it to other global markets during the first quarter of that year. The update covered the logo, brand color, custom Chinese and English brand fonts, VI system extensions, and offline applications. Vivo stated the goal was to improve brand recognition in an increasingly mobile, fragmented media environment and to further highlight the brand’s technology and fashion DNA. [1]
For the logo redesign, Vivo partnered with Danish designer Bo Linnemann. According to Linnemann, “Vivo is not only an industry leader in the smartphone technology, but also a brand that is willing and genuine in its communications with consumers. Building on Vivo’s strong international visibility and influence, this new visual brand identity will better channel the brand’s character and attractiveness.” [2]
Compared with the previous mark, the new logo extended the letter “i” vertically to achieve visual balance at the bottom of the wordmark with the two “v” characters, which have distinctive letterforms. The design also optimized the “horn curve” details and simplified anchor points, giving the logo a lighter, cleaner overall appearance. [1] The two “v” tops were flattened, and letter spacing was increased so the mark remains legible at small sizes. [3]
The new identity was first spotted in promotional materials for Vivo’s NEX dual-screen phone launch event in Shanghai on December 11, 2018, before the official announcement in January 2019. [3]
Meaning and Symbolism
Blue has always been Vivo’s brand color. The 2019 refresh redefined the brand’s signature shade, which Vivo calls “Vivo Blue.” Compared with the previous sky blue, the new color has higher saturation and stronger visual impact. Vivo described the brighter color as representing the youth, vitality, independence, and intelligence of its users. [4]
The previous brand color was sky blue with a hex value of #0087CD; the new “Vivo Blue” uses hex #415FFF. [3] The Pantone reference also shifted from 2925c to 2386. [5]
Vivo said the new color was developed following a study of consumer visual habits and their receptiveness to digital displays. The company described the more saturated shade as easier on the eyes and an ideal visual backdrop for its creative and expressive character. [2]
Typography and Design
As part of the 2019 refresh, Vivo introduced custom brand fonts called “Vivo Type” for both English and Chinese. The English font was designed by Bo Linnemann and his team, based on a sans-serif foundation to express the brand’s youth, uniqueness, and confidence. It was released in 6 weights and 2 widths to ensure adaptability across different countries, languages, and platforms. [4]
The Chinese Vivo Type font was designed in collaboration with Qiu Yin, a Chinese font design master and director of design at FounderType. Qiu Yin is also known for designing the font for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games emblem. The Chinese font was released in 3 weights and was designed to combine simplicity, precision, and rational stroke treatment with a sense of agility and individual expression. [1] [2]
Vivo’s brand vice president Deng Li said of the refresh: “Vivo is evolving from a follower to a leader in technology and fashion. We hope this brand image upgrade can redefine Vivo’s technology and fashion, and share the brand proposition of ‘enjoying the extraordinary’ with young consumers around the world through more unique visuals and a more creative approach.” [4]
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