Glu Mobile is a San Francisco-based developer and publisher of mobile games, founded in 2001 and acquired by Electronic Arts in April 2021 for $2.1 billion in enterprise value.[1] The company’s visual identity has centered on a lowercase “g” character logo, which the company itself has used as its primary brand mark across its games and communications.
Design and History
The Glu brand was created in 2005 as part of a rebranding effort that unified two studios, Sorrent and Macrospace, under a single name. The lowercase “g” icon and the overall rebranding effort were designed by SALT, a San Francisco branding, design, and communications firm.[2] At the time of the rebrand, Glu positioned the “g” icon on wireless game screens as well as print and internet advertising.[2]
The company’s own financial disclosures consistently referenced the “g” character logo as a trademark. Glu’s press materials described consumers finding entertainment “wherever they see the ‘g’ character logo or at www.glu.com.”[3] This phrasing appeared in company releases from at least 2007 through 2016, indicating the “g” mark remained the company’s core identifier throughout that period.[4]
Some sources indicate a logo change occurred around 2014, with a new Glu logo appearing on certain app icons.[5] [6]
Following the EA acquisition in April 2021, Glu’s games and studios were integrated into EA’s mobile organization.[1] EA’s welcome announcement referred to Glu as “the newest member of the Electronic Arts family,” and the company’s trademarks, including the “g” character logo, were listed among Glu’s assets.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The lowercase “g” was explicitly described by the company as an “easily recognizable icon” intended to serve as a consumer-facing brand mark across wireless game screens and advertising.[2] The rebranding was framed by then-CEO Greg Ballard as a way to create “a single brand that resonates with consumers” following the merger of Sorrent and Macrospace.[2]
A trademark registration for a Glu Mobile image mark, filed in 2014 and registered in 2015, describes the mark as “the head of a creature with eyes,” suggesting the logo evolved into a character-like figure rather than a simple letterform.[8]
Typography and Design
The 2005 rebranding by SALT introduced the lowercase “g” icon.[2] The company’s trademark filings list the “g” character logo as a protected mark, but do not specify typographic details.[3]
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