The Facebook logo is one of the most recognizable logos in the world. The iconic blue color has become synonymous with the social media giant. But have you ever wondered why Facebook chose that specific shade of blue for its logo? In this in-depth article, we’ll explore the history and meaning behind the Facebook logo colors.
The Origins of the Facebook Logo
Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg along with fellow Harvard students. The company was initially called TheFacebook, focusing on connecting college students. The original logo featured a white lowercase “the” next to the word Facebook written in blue. This logo remained until 2005 when the company dropped “The” from its name and went with the now-iconic blue Facebook text.
There are a few origin stories about where the blue color originally came from:
- Zuckerberg is red-green colorblind, so blue stood out to him.
- It was inspired by the blue of the Winklevoss twins’ Harvard Connection website, which Facebook was initially created to replace.
- Blue represents the feeling of familiarity and comfort, reflecting Facebook’s mission of connecting friends and family.
Regardless of the initial inspiration, the blue logo has stuck throughout Facebook’s evolution into a social media empire.
Facebook Blue Hex Codes
Throughout minor tweaks over the years, Facebook blue has remained prominent in the logo. So what exact shades of blue make up the Facebook logo? Here are the official Facebook brand color hex codes:
| Color Name | Hex Code |
|---|---|
| Facebook Blue | #1877F2 |
| Dark Facebook Blue | #1778F2 |
#1877F2 is the main blue used in the Facebook app logo, while #1778F2 is slightly darker and used for the website logo. The AA accessibility version of the logo uses #3B5999.
Psychology of the Facebook Logo Colors
It’s no accident that Facebook chose blue as the prominent color for its brand. Blue has strong psychological associations, especially in the context of social media and communication:
- Trustworthiness: Blue conveys a sense of stability and security. Users need to trust the privacy and integrity of their social platform.
- Open communication: Blue represents openness and the free flow of communication between friends and communities.
- Wisdom: Darker shades like Facebook’s blue are linked to knowledge and learning.
- Peace: Blue has calming, peaceful effects which contrasts social media’s sometimes chaotic nature.
Facebook blue balances the friendly vibes of blue with the sophisticated impression of its darker shade. This reinforces Facebook’s branding as a trustworthy, communicative, and learning-focused platform.
Consistency Across Facebook’s Branding
Facebook blue is deeply integrated across Facebook’s entire visual brand identity. Some examples include:
- The website’s blue header bar
- Blue notification badges and icons
- Blue backgrounds used in Facebook ad campaigns
- Blue Facebook wall posts
- The blue chat bubble color in Messenger
Wherever you encounter Facebook’s brand online or in the real world, you can count on seeing some variation of Facebook blue. This consistency strengthens brand recognition across the company’s ever-expanding universe of products and services.
| Facebook Product/Service | Use of Blue |
|---|---|
| Facebook app icon | The “f” icon is Facebook blue |
| Messenger | Blue app icon and chat bubbles |
| Blue gradient in app icon | |
| Teal blue chat bubbles | |
| Oculus | Blue app icon |
Cohesive Brand Messaging
Facebook’s blue logo doesn’t just represent the company visually. It reinforces core brand messaging psychologically as well. According to Facebook VP of Global Marketing Antonio Lucio, Facebook blue stands for:
- Clarity
- Confidence
- Leadership
- Trust
- Transparency
- Competence
Facebook has weathered many public relations storms and controversies over issues like data privacy and content moderation. Keeping Facebook blue as a central part of its identity helps maintain user trust and rebuilt confidence during challenging times thanks to blue’s positive brand associations.
Logo Redesigns Over the Years
While Facebook’s logo color has remained steadfast, the style and details have evolved:
| Year | Logo Redesign Highlights |
|---|---|
| 2005 | – Dropped “the” from name – Simplified to just “Facebook” in blue |
| 2007 | – Darker blue – Added slight dimensionality |
| 2013 | – Removed dimensionality – Flatter, minimalist look |
| 2019 | – Custom company font – Rounded corners |
The 2019 redesign marked Facebook’s most radical logo change to date. The famous “lowercase f” was made upright and rounded off. A custom sans-serif font Fira took the place of the previous Klavika font. These tweaks gave Facebook a fresh, friendly look while retaining the equity of Facebook blue.
Competing Social Media Logo Colors
| Company | Logo Colors |
|---|---|
| Blue | |
| Blue | |
| Multicolored | |
| Snapchat | Yellow |
| Blue | |
| Red | |
| TikTok | Black |
Facebook isn’t the only social media platform to use blue in its visual identity, although it has claimed a particular shade of blue. Twitter, LinkedIn and even Instagram integrate forms of blue into their logos. Blue remains an appropriate symbolic color for social networking and communication brands.
Maintaining Brand Consistency Across Platforms
With over 3.5 billion monthly users across Facebook’s family of apps, keeping color consistency is crucial but challenging:
- Facebook app icons need to stand out on crowded user home screens using the signature blue.
- Messenger’s blue chat bubbles look different across iOS, Android, web, and desktop apps.
- WhatsApp uses a teal blue that aligns with parent company Facebook but has unique green accents.
- Instagram uses a blue, orange, and pink-purple gradient background behind the logo to differentiate itself.
Facebook, Inc. allows its acquired apps to cultivate their own brand identities to a degree. But strategic use of blue across the company’s app icons, logos, and interfaces offers users visual reinforcement that all these services fall under the Facebook umbrella.
Is Facebook Blue Ubiquitous Enough to Replace Hyperlinks?
Blue text indicating hyperlinks is so ingrained in digital interfaces that many users hardly notice it. In fact, Facebook has tested replacing blue hyperlinks with black text on its platform. The rationale is that Facebook blue is now so ubiquitous online that hyperlinks no longer need color differentiation from plain text.
However, early tests revealed user confusion and backlash. People’s mental models still associate blue fonts with clickable links. Facebook reverted hyperlinks back to blue; though now in a slightly lighter shade versus the darker Facebook blue. As Facebook’s brand equity continues to grow, could hyperlinks eventually blend into black text? Only time will tell.
Conclusion
Facebook blue is one of the most famous colors in online branding. The specific blue hues were chosen to represent trust, communication, and wisdom. Blue plays a crucial role in Facebook’s brand recognition across its ever-expanding set of products and services.
While the logo has evolved over the years, Facebook blue remains the constant. It reinforces the company’s desired brand image as a trustworthy industry leader. Love it or hate it, expect to keep seeing some variation of Facebook blue as the company continues its quest to connect the world.
