Johnson and Johnson is unveiling a fresh logo design, marking a departure from the iconic signature script it has used since 1887. The healthcare giant is adopting a more modern look to align with its increased focus on pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
While the original script, based on co-founder James Wood Johnson’s signature, will continue to appear on consumer products like Kenvue baby shampoo, it no longer represents the company’s core identity. Johnson and Johnson has narrowed its focus to pharmaceuticals and medical devices, prompting the logo change.
Pure Play Healthcare company
The revamped logo also introduces a different shade of red to symbolize J&J’s transformation into a “pure play health care company,” according to Vanessa Broadhurst, an executive vice president at the company.
The old signature logo celebrated as “one of the longest-used company emblems in the world” in a 2017 post on J&J’s website, had become somewhat outdated in the era of texting and emojis. With fewer people learning cursive writing, the script was still recognizable but not necessarily readable, explained marketing consultant Laura Ries. The new logo, on the other hand, offers greater readability and is more visually appealing.
Moreover, consumers often associate the script logo with Kenvue products such as Band-Aids, Listerine, and Tylenol. As a result, the transition to the new logo will gradually remove the J&J branding from products like Band-Aids, according to a Kenvue spokesperson.
The script logo was also featured on bottles of Johnson and Johnson’s talcum-based baby powder, which faced lawsuits alleging a link to cancer. J&J maintained the powder’s safety.
While the consumer business had propelled Johnson & Johnson to become the world’s largest healthcare products maker, with annual sales exceeding $90 billion, the pharmaceutical and medical device divisions had grown even larger. This shift prompted the spinoff announcement in late 2021.
In addition to the logo change, Johnson & Johnson is rebranding its Janssen pharmaceutical business as Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine and its medical devices and technology segment as Johnson & Johnson MedTech.
Johnson and Johnson is unveiling a new logo
It is marking a departure from the well-known signature script it has used since 1887. The healthcare giant announced on Thursday that it is adopting a modern look that reflects its increased focus on pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
While the original script, which is based on co-founder James Wood Johnson’s signature, will still appear on consumer products like Kenvue baby shampoo (a new company recently spun off from J&J), it no longer represents the company’s core identity. Johnson and Johnson has shifted its focus exclusively to pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The updated logo, which features a different shade of red, is intended to symbolize J&J’s transformation into a “pure play healthcare company,” explained Vanessa Broadhurst, an executive vice president at the company.
