ICQ Logo PNG
Through the distance, the messenger opens a window for communication over the Internet. The ICQ logo tells the story. The program helps create a community of people from different backgrounds. The correspondence visible on the emblem strengthens the relationship.
ICQ: Brand overview
ICQ began in Tel Aviv at Zapa Digital Arts, where Yair Goldfinger, Sefi Vigiser, Amnon Amir, and Arik Vardi worked on internet graphics. In 1996, they left the company and founded Mirabilis with about $75,000 from Yossi Vardi, Arik’s father, and one of the founders of Israel Chemicals.
The first version was built in less than 2 months and released on November 15, 1996. The name came from “I Seek You.” ICQ offered a contact list with online status, real-time messages, file transfer, group chats, and sequential UIN numbers, which soon became status markers for early internet users. By 1998, it had 12 million registered accounts.
On June 8, 1998, AOL bought Mirabilis for $287 million in cash, with possible extra payments up to $120 million. Under AOL’s ownership, ICQ surpassed 100 million registered users by spring 2001, while AOL was also developing AIM. In 2002, AOL Time Warner received a U.S. patent for instant messaging technology, and ICQ began adding ads. Later versions, including ICQ 5 in 2005, tried to keep younger users with Xtraz features. Still, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and social networks weakened its position in Western markets.
In April 2010, AOL sold ICQ to Digital Sky Technologies for $187.5 million. The fund later became Mail.Ru Group and shifted ICQ toward mobile apps. ICQ New arrived in 2020 with video calls, voice messages, stickers, and smart replies. In 2022, the service had 11 million monthly users. On May 24, 2024, ICQ announced that it would shut down on June 26, 2024, and directed users to VK Messenger.
Meaning and History
After the official launch of ICQ, the brand logo has been changed four times, with minimal adjustments, making it even more recognizable among the target audience. Around the world, the messenger is associated with a green flower, but the first version was completely different from the familiar one.
What is ICQ?
First of all, it is an opportunity not to be alone. With the help of the presented online messenger, you can find a friend at any time or chat with your friends for free.
1996 – 1998
The first version of the logo consisted of three capital letters ICQ, separated by black dots. Interestingly, all characters in the messenger’s name have a different size. If “I” and “C” have minimal differences in volumes, then “Q” is significantly less. Each letter has a shadow, which creates a sense of depth. Under the letter “C” is a horizontal line with a slight rounding. The logo is based on the principle of lettering, where the letters appear to be drawn rather than written. The non-standard logo attracted the attention of global network users with its minimalism, but two years later, it was radically changed.
1998 – 2014
The next version of the logo existed for a long sixteen years. During this period, the presented online messenger enjoyed the greatest popularity among the target audience. This was largely because ICQ had no real analogs on the market. The emblem that millions of users worldwide associate with ICQ was introduced in 1998. The wordmark was completely removed, and a green flower appeared in its place. The circle in the center of the flower was represented by yellow. At the same time, seven of the eight petals were green. The latter, red, stood out, making the emblem more vivid and memorable. Each element of the emblem had a black outline separating one petal from another.
2014 – 2015
At this stage, the messenger logo acquired volume. This became possible after using the gradient of the primary colors presented in the image of the flower. In turn, the contours became less noticeable.
2015 – 2020
The emblem’s volume has been removed. At the same time, the distance between the color petals appeared, and the black contours were also removed. The 2015 redesign used brighter colors. In the end, the logo itself became simpler than the previous version, but the company needed those changes.
2020 – today
The most tangible changes since the first logo redesign were made in 2020. The flower with five green petals was inside the black circle. The yellow center of the flower and the red petals have been removed. As a result, this version of the logo is the most concise among its predecessors.
If a black inscription with the brand name was sometimes used in previous versions, it was absent in any variations here.
Font and Colors
With the online messenger’s emblem from 1998 to 2020, its name was also used, set in a classic font with bold lowercase letters.
Also, during this period, the emblem’s color palette consisted of green, yellow, and red. The use of bright colors helped attract the target audience’s attention. In the latest iteration, the logo has become more progressive but, at the same time, noticeably gloomier than the options used in the previous stages of the platform’s operation. Green petals on a black background convey the company’s ICQ’s concreteness and purposefulness.
