I’ve commented more than once on trying to make a logo do more than it can.
I’m reading a truly incredible book, “Designing Brand Identity” – the best book on branding I’ve ever read. The whole back third of the book is examples, and one of them is Amazon.com and the re-branding done in 1999 when their current logo was developed.
Now don’t misunderstand me, I think it is a terrific logo. But the design team put things into the logo that won’t be noticed or even subliminally absorbed by one person in a thousand. I mean, did you ever notice that the orange line under the name makes a smile with a dimple that pushes up the “z”? Or that the line connects a to z, signifying the fact that Amazon.com sells everything?
It reminds me of the way significances are assigned to modern art (great book on that, “The Painted Word” by one of my heroes, Tom Wolfe). They make a great read, and sure help sell something, but they don’t make it better art.