A quiet change to Amazon’s beloved smartphone shopping app has confused consumers.
The well-known logo of the colored cardboard box with a black arrow has undergone a subtle change in the latest update of the application.
The small square, which symbolizes the tape that seals Amazon packages, has changed from its familiar light blue to stripes of dark and light green.
“Amazon’s recent update to its app icon is an example of its continued strategy to update its brand image,” said Bryan Fowler, president of the Amazon division of marketing agency Intero Digital.
“This change may initially be disconcerting to some, especially considering that apps are recognized through visual cues that develop muscle memory over time,” he explained.
The new Amazon logo has replaced the blue ribbon with light and dark green stripes
“Design updates like these are meant to create a feeling of joy and excitement like receiving a package.”
He added: “It is possible that Amazon wanted to change the color of the ribbon to one more associated with the Christmas season, as millions of people search for gifts on Amazon.”
DailyMail.com was alerted to the change by a confused reader.
“I panicked for a minute when I couldn’t locate the app and order some sports equipment for the kids,” he joked.
‘I guess, like most families, we rely on Amazon a little more than we should. If you need something quickly, just open the app and a few taps later it’ll be on its way to you.
‘I’m a swiper on my iPhone, so I scroll until I see the app I’m looking for. You get used to the shapes and colors, so when they change like this it can be disconcerting.
‘My husband is a search engine: he displays and searches for applications by typing the name so that the phone shows them. So he didn’t even notice.
For those who don’t like the new design, there is good news.
It is understood that Amazon will make the change only for the holidays. After that it will work again.
This isn’t the first time Amazon has made a change to its logo, although it’s much less controversial than the last time.
In 2021, the retail giant was forced to remove the jagged blue ribbon border from the logo because consumers said it resembled Adolf Hitler’s infamous mustache.
“Unfortunately for Amazon, the display of their package tape in the original logo will immediately be associated with a Hitler mustache, as that shape is forever embedded in our subconscious brain as such; not the best association for a brand that wants to cause delight at the door,” branding expert Vicky Bullen said at the time.
Brand designer Laura Weldon praised the company for acting quickly on criticism.
“Brands change and modify their logos all the time,” he said at the time. “It reflects well on Amazon that they listened to their customers.”
Amazon has been battling controversy online after a company executive was seen wearing a controversial necklace in the shape of Israel adorned with the Palestinian flag.
Intero Digital’s Bryan Fowler said the change could catch users off guard
Had to rebrand in 2021 after Amazon customers said icon looked like Hitler
Ruba Borno, vice president of Amazon Web Services, was seen wearing the necklace in a video promoting a company conference in Las Vegas.
The map around Borno’s neck was Israel, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip, territories that Palestinians have demanded as the basis for an independent state.
However, Amazon is still pulling ahead of its struggling rivals in many sectors.
While pharmacies across the United States are struggling, Amazon plans to open 20 new pharmacies next year.
It contrasts with Walgreens, which said earlier this month it would close 1,200 stores over the next three years.