In January, Amazon updated its app icon for mobile devices. The graphic featured a minimalist style with a brown background, a serrated piece of blue strip on the top and a curved arrow in the middle indicating a smile. It was intended to convey a "smiling" Amazon box with a piece of tape on top. However, many noted that the serrated tape actually made it look like Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler"s mustache, so now the company has redesigned its icon once again.
As can be seen above, the old icon (left) had serrated edges for the blue tape, which many considered to be similar to Hitler"s toothbrush-style mustache. In effect, people who noticed this would perceive the overall icon to be very similar to the lower half of Hitler"s face smiling. The new icon (right) ditches the style for the blue tape and instead opts for a two-tone design with one of the edges of the tape even turned to indicate that it"s a tape that a person would rip off their shipment box.
In a bit of a non-statement to The Verge, an Amazon spokesperson had the following to say about the redesign:
Amazon is always exploring new ways to delight our customers. We designed the new icon to spark anticipation, excitement, and joy when customers start their shopping journey on their phone, just as they do when they see our boxes on their door step.
While it is debatable whether the old icon actually bears a resemblance to Hitler, it seems that Amazon has just quietly changed the icon itself within a few weeks after releasing it to somewhat control the ongoing controversy.
Source and image via: The Verge