AP FILE PHOTO
SAN FRANCISCO – Yahoo late Wednesday updated its logo with slimmer letters but kept the trademark purple color and exclamation point.
“We wanted a logo that stayed true to our roots (whimsical, purple, with an exclamation point) yet embraced the evolution of our products,” Yahoo chief marketing officer Kathy Savitt said in a Tumblr blog post.
The updated logo comes as the Internet pioneer continues a quest to re-invent itself after being eclipsed by Google in the world of online search.
The faded Internet star’s new symbol has been redesigned to better reflect what the company aims to be under chief executive Marissa Mayer, according to Savitt.
She said that Yahoo will also be keeping its “famous yodel.”
Since former Google executive Mayer became boss at Yahoo early last year, the California company has snapped up more than 20 startups including the billion-dollar buy of blog platform Tumblr.
Mayer’s plan for reviving Yahoo’s fortunes includes making priorities of mobile devices, video, personalized digital content, and elevating the company’s popularity outside the United States.
“While the company is rapidly evolving, our logo – the essence of our brand – should too,” Savitt said.
To build excitement about the change of the well-known purple logo, Yahoo will tease US visitors with variations on the theme daily leading up to the unveiling.