Goodwill Industries International, the nonprofit network known for its thrift stores and job training programs, uses a logo commonly called the “Smiling G.” The mark is a stylized lowercase “g” that doubles as a smiling face, and it has served as the unifying symbol for Goodwill organizations since 1968.
Design and History
In 1968, Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries in Boston began searching for an updated visual identity and selected graphic designer Joseph Selame to create a new logo. Selame, who also designed logos for CVS and Kodak, used a lowercase “g” twice in the design, with the letterform doubling as a smile. The logo was intended to symbolize “the many faces of self-sustaining and self-respecting people within Goodwill.” [1]
Selame’s obituary in The New York Times confirms his role, noting that for Goodwill, “the ‘G’ in its logo could also be read as a smiling face.” [2]
Before the Smiling G, Goodwill used a different corporate logo. A history of Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio records that the organization’s first corporate logo, called “Good Willy,” debuted in 1950, and that the Smiling G logo replaced it in 1968. [3]
Today, the Smiling G is described by Goodwill’s own brand guidelines as “the one symbol that unites Goodwill organizations worldwide.” The guidelines note that the trademark was created in 1968 and that the “®” symbol should appear in the lower right corner of the mark. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
According to Goodwill’s own communications, the Smiling G “represents the many smiling faces and positive impacts achieved through Goodwill programs and services, every day.” [1] The design’s dual function, serving as both the letter “g” and a smile, was a deliberate choice by Selame to convey this meaning. [1]
Typography and Design
The Smiling G is a single graphic mark rather than a wordmark. Goodwill’s brand guidelines specify that the mark should appear with ample surrounding space, should not be reproduced smaller than .75 inches wide, and that its colors must not be altered from the specified files. The guidelines also note that local Goodwill organizations pair the Smiling G with their own logotype, as seen in the Goodwill Northwest North Carolina logo where the Smiling G appears to the right of the organization’s name. [4]
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