Snapchat’s visual identity centers on a white ghost silhouette on a bright yellow background. The ghost mascot, known as “Ghostface Chillah,” was drawn by co-founder Evan Spiegel, who said he created the logo on his computer in his bedroom in a couple of hours [1]. Spiegel chose yellow for the app because no other popular app used that color at the time [1].
Design and History
The ghost was designed before Snapchat launched, for its predecessor app Picaboo, which worked in much the same way Snapchat does: pictures disappear after being viewed [2]. Spiegel said the team settled on a ghost “because all snaps disappear,” after considering other ideas including an exclamation point [3]. The mascot’s name, Ghostface Chillah, references Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killah [2].
The original logo featured a ghost with a grinning face and a protruding tongue. In June 2013, Snapchat rolled out an iOS update with a faceless ghost. The company explained the change in a blog post: “This isn’t because we forgot the face, it’s because you are the face of Snapchat.” The post added that letting go of the silly grin meant the mascot could take on “all sorts of fun expressions and personalities, reflective of the diverse experiences shared by the members of our community” [4]. The change came amid a lawsuit in which Frank Reginald Brown IV claimed he helped create Snapchat and listed designing the Ghostface Chillah logo among his contributions [5].
In August 2019, Snapchat quietly updated the icon again, increasing the stroke width of the ghost outline [6]. Snap said the bolder line made the app’s logo more visible and eye-catching [7]. The change drew criticism from users online, with some describing the thicker outline as ugly or aggressive [6].
Meaning and Symbolism
The ghost represents the ephemeral nature of Snapchat’s core feature: snaps that disappear after being viewed [2]. Spiegel chose yellow for the branding because no other popular app used it, giving Snapchat a distinct color in a social media landscape dominated by blue icons [1].
Typography and Design
Snap Inc. publishes official brand guidelines that specify how the Ghost logo may and may not be used. Third parties are instructed to use only the official Ghost logo available for download, to display it only in black and white, and not to alter, rotate or modify it in any way [8]. The brand color commonly associated with Snapchat is yellow, recorded as hex code #FFFC00 [9].
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