Tencent Holdings Ltd., the Shenzhen-based internet and technology company, uses a bilingual wordmark combining the Latin “Tencent” with the Chinese characters “腾讯.” The current corporate identity was introduced in two stages: a new slanted logotype and proprietary typeface launched in November 2017, followed by a new official brand color, “Tencent Blue,” unveiled in November 2018 for the company’s 20th anniversary.
Design and History
In November 2017, Tencent quietly introduced a new logo and a companion corporate typeface called “Tencent Font” (TTTGB-Medium). The typeface project was led by Tencent’s CDC (User Research and Experience Design Department) and the corporate marketing team, with typography firm Monotype providing design expertise. Akira Kobayashi of Monotype served as advisor, designer Hui Hanwen led the Chinese character work, Doi Ryota designed the Japanese kana, and Steve Matteson and Juan Villanueva contributed to non-Chinese glyphs. The font family includes 6,763 full-form Chinese characters plus Latin, Greek, Japanese kana, and Cyrillic letters.[1][2]
According to Tencent’s design team, the logo update refined the existing mark rather than replacing it. The slant was slightly straightened for a more stable, modern appearance; negative space in the Latin letters, particularly “e” and “c,” was optimized; the arrow element and the letter “t” were merged into a single form; and the Chinese characters were adjusted to echo the visual traits of the Latin wordmark.[1]
In November 2018, to mark its 20th anniversary, Tencent announced a new official brand color named “Tencent Blue.” The color was developed in collaboration with the Pantone Color Institute and designated as the company’s standard brand color for its logo, official website, and select branded merchandise.[3][4]
Meaning and Symbolism
Tencent’s design team described the slanted letterforms as conveying a sense of forward motion and speed, fitting for an internet technology company. The Chinese characters are drawn at an 8-degree slant, while the Latin letters use a 10-degree slant for visual harmony. The strokes incorporate “cut-angle” details, which the designers said add strength and a modern feel.[2][5]
Tencent Blue was described by its developers as an “electronic color” that is vivid and energetic. Its base blue was drawn from the ocean and sky, with white and purple undertones intended to convey vitality and imagination. Pantone Color Institute Vice President Laurie Pressman called it “an electronic color, it is vivid, full of energy and inspiring.”[6]
Typography and Design
The Tencent wordmark is set in the proprietary Tencent Font, which is not licensed for external use. The font was designed for use in brand logos, advertising, and website headlines to reinforce a unified corporate image across Tencent’s many products.[1][2]
The official Tencent Blue color specification is RGB 0, 82, 217 (hex #0052D9), with CMYK values of 100, 60, 0, 0.[7] Tencent’s TDesign design system also identifies #0052D9 as the brand color.[8]
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