The American marketing company American Way of Life, abbreviated as Amway, has a vivid name and an equally bright visual identity, selling beauty, health, and home care products. The Amway logo is minimalist, drawing attention to the name and its connection to the business profile.
Amway’s story began in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel met at school. In 1949, they began selling Nutrilite products and built a distributor network that reached over 5,000 participants within 9 years.
In April 1959, they formed the American Way Association and later registered Amway Sales Corporation and Amway Services Corporation. The name came from “American Way.” The first product, Frisk cleaner, was later renamed LOC. In 1960, they acquired part of a Detroit-based manufacturer, and in 1964, the entities merged to form Amway Corporation.
During the 1960s, growth accelerated. DeVos toured the country promoting the business model. In 1968, the Artistry cosmetics line launched, and in 1972, Amway acquired Nutrilite, turning a former supplier into its own brand.
In 1969, the US Federal Trade Commission opened an investigation into the company’s structure. The case continued through the 1970s, and in 1979, the FTC ruled that Amway was not an illegal pyramid scheme, setting a precedent later cited by Herbalife and Mary Kay.
In 1970, Canadian authorities filed a customs case. In 1983, Amway admitted to violations and paid over $25 million in fines.
By the 1980s, the company operated in 20 countries. In 1999, it launched the Quixtar online platform in North America, which was rebranded as Amway Global in 2009.
In 2011, Direct Selling News ranked Amway as the largest direct selling company. From 2012 onward, it retained that position.
Meaning and History
The first logo debuted in the company’s founding year. Throughout its existence, it has changed five emblems, which are not very diverse. All have the same shape and elements, with redesigns involving only refinements. Thus, its history is an evolution from a multi-component sign to a minimalist one.
What is Amway?
Amway is an American multi-level marketing company that has been operating since 1959. Founded by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos, it has numerous branches in over 100 countries and is the largest marketing brand by revenue. The company’s headquarters are in Ada, Michigan.
1959 – 1964
The initial variation used the colors of the US flag. The top blue stripe contains a white map of North America. In the middle, the red rectangle contains the word “Amway” – the brand name. The white bottom stripe features the phrase “Home-care know-how” (in large serif font), followed by “at your doorstep!” (in lowercase italics). All elements are placed in a standard rectangle with triple bordering.
1964 – 1982
The redesign updated the previous logo. In the guide, the map of the North American continent was replaced with a map of the Southern Hemisphere with a grid of meridians and parallels. This reflects the company’s international expansion and the opening of its first overseas office in Ontario, Canada. The new logo reflects the company’s entrepreneurial ambitions.
It still resembles a tricolor – a flag with three different colored fields. Other changes occurred. The top field depicts a diagram of the Earth’s southern hemisphere; in the middle is the word “Amway,” and at the bottom, the slogan “Shop without going shopping.” For this, the developers chose a classic serif font.
1982 – 1980
In this version, continents disappeared from the world map, so the emblem depicted an abstract hemisphere with a grid of parallels and meridians. Instead of the old motto, a new one appeared: “We deliver the best.” This redesign followed the company’s expansion into international activities.
1980 – 2002
Since then, the logo’s colors have become brighter and clearer. The white bottom line merged with the background, and the slogan was replaced with the word “Amway” in the original typeface.
2002 – today
The current logo is minimalist, consisting of a single element: the company name with a barely noticeable underline. The line is arc-shaped and pointed on the right side.
Font and Colors
Early versions of the Amway trademark featured three equally wide stripes in different colors. Until 1964, the background square had a triple border, then a double, and by the mid-80s, it disappeared altogether. In 2002, the label was simplified to its most basic form: all elements were removed, leaving only the company name.
The emblem uses two font styles: print (all caps) and italic (in the debut logo). The letters are uppercase and sans-serif. The primary colors are blue, red, and white.








