ZOZO, Inc. is a Japanese fashion e-commerce and technology company based in Chiba, Japan. The company, formerly known as Start Today Co., Ltd., operates the online fashion website ZOZOTOWN. Its corporate logo, introduced in 2018, is built from four geometric shapes that form a stylized “Z” mark.
Design and History
The ZOZO logo was first unveiled in November 2017 as the brand mark for the company’s private label, announced alongside the brand mission statement “be unique, be equal.” [1] On October 1, 2018, Start Today Co., Ltd. changed its corporate name to ZOZO, Inc. and adopted the private brand’s logo as its new corporate logo. [2]
The company name “ZOZO” is meant to express “Imagination” and “Creation,” which leads to creating new values. [2] The logo was designed in-house by ZOZO’s corporate design team, which describes it as a “Z mark” composed of a circle, triangle, and square with equal surface areas, created under the concept “Be unique. Be equal.” [3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The logo’s shapes are central to its documented meaning. According to the company’s official announcement, the circle, triangle, and square in the logo are all different in shape and color, yet their sizes are all equal. This reflects the message that people come in different colors and shapes, with different strengths and weaknesses, yet all equally feel emotions such as happiness, anger, grief, and excitement. [2] The company promotes this idea through its slogan “be unique, be equal.” [1]
The mark consists of four shapes: a red circle in the upper left, a blue right triangle in the lower left, an inverted black right triangle in the upper right, and a yellow square in the lower right. [4] The shapes are arranged to form a “Z” configuration. [3]
Typography and Design
In 2022, ZOZO temporarily changed its corporate logo to rainbow colors during Pride Month in June, as a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. The company announced that it would change both the ZOZOTOWN service logo and the corporate logo to rainbow colors for the month. [5]
When the corporate logo was adopted in 2018, employees were given business cards with individually chosen logo colors, so that each employee’s card featured a different color variant of the mark. [6]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
