Shinsegae Inc., the South Korean department store operator, has used two distinct visual identities since the turn of the millennium. The company’s current brand mark is a wordmark, while the red seven-petal flower symbol it previously shared with the wider Shinsegae Group remains in use as the group-level corporate identity.
Design and History
In December 1999, Shinsegae announced a full corporate identity overhaul tied to a new “ethical management” initiative. The company replaced its existing symbol with a red “fully bloomed flower” mark. According to the company at the time, the flower represented the characteristics of the retail industry that bring joy to consumers, the fully bloomed shape signified Shinsegae’s commitment to the highest service and value, and the red color expressed the company’s devotion to its customers and society.[1]
The new CI was built around seven irregularly arranged petals. A case study describing the project states that the seven petals were chosen to represent freedom and diversity, reflecting the company’s respect for each customer’s individual personality. The identity was also designed with flexible application elements, allowing the flower to be resized, rearranged, layered, or rendered in various colors so it could function as a product or atmosphere device rather than only a corporate symbol.[2]
On January 1, 2015, Shinsegae Department Store replaced its corporate identity for the first time in 15 years. The department store removed the red flower-petal symbol it had shared with the group and adopted a wordmark using only the English name “SHINSEGAE.” The letter spacing of the English wordmark was widened for a more modern style. The existing red flower symbol continued to be used by the Shinsegae Group.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
Official documentation from a Shinsegae affiliate describes the group-level flower mark in detail. The fully bloomed shape embodies the service and value that make customers happy, the intense bright red expresses Shinsegae’s sincerity toward customers and society, and each of the seven individual petals represents the company’s commitment to valuing and caring for each customer’s individuality.[4]
Typography and Design
The Shinsegae E&C brand guidelines specify that the flower mark and logotype are positioned with precisely studied spacing and proportions. The spacing cannot be adjusted; the entire signature may only be scaled up or down as a whole. The guidelines also define the main colors: the flower mark uses PANTONE 485C, and the logotype uses PANTONE 431C.[4]
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