Tech

You won't recognize Netflix's very first logo from 25 years ago — take a look

The Netflix logo is displayed on a smartphone screen.
The Netflix logo is displayed on a smartphone screen. Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
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Netflix turned 25 on Monday.

The streaming giant was founded on August 29, 1997 by Reed Hastings, its current co-CEO, and Marc Randolph, its first CEO who departed the company in 2002 after it went public. 

Netflix has gone through plenty of changes over that quarter century, from starting as a DVD-by-mail company to launching its internet streaming service to making original content.

Its logo has also gone through some revisions, and its first was a far cry from its current red-on-black design. It had purple and black coloring with a film reel swirling through it, dividing the "Net" and "Flix." It reflects that when Netflix first launched its website in 1998, the "F" was capitalized: NetFlix.com.

Take a look at the streamer's original logo below: 

netflix first logo
Netflix's first logo when it launched in August, 1997.  Netflix

This first logo didn't last long, but neither did its second one. In 2000, Netflix changed its logo, which lasted less than a year. It was black and yellow with what looked like a TV screen as the dot over the "i." Take a look below:

netflix second logo
Netflix

In 2001, Netflix introduced a logo that was much more similar to what it looks like today. The basic shape of the logo is reminiscent of its current design, but it was white with black shading to give it a 3D feel, and a red background. Today's logo has basically inverted that design, with a red, 2D logo.

netflix logo
Netflix

Netflix debuted its current logo in 2014, soon after it launched its original TV. In 2016, it introduced its "N" letter emblem. It didn't replace the current logo, but is used on its service to indicate whether a show or movie is a Netflix original. It's also the icon used for its mobile app, to better fit.

netflix letter logo
Netflix

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Travis Clark was a senior reporter covering the entertainment and tech industries on the Tech News team.Travis covered the companies, properties, and trends transforming and disrupting Hollywood, and how they interesect with the tech world.He's also a comic-book movie expert, and is interested in the evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Warner Bros.' shifting strategy for its DC superhero movies, for starters.Below is some of the work he's most proud of:Disney is shutting down the animation studio behind the 'Ice Age' movies. Some staffers say they're shocked at the lack of communication and feel betrayed that its final movie won't be released.Hulu insiders say a scrapped international expansion and changing culture have made them question what the streamer's future looks like under DisneyMarvel insiders say they're skeptical of its recent pledge to improve diversity in its comics and company, after employing only 2 Black editorial staffers in the last 5 yearsInsiders say major questions hang over DC Universe as its parent company prepares to launch Netflix rival HBO Max