How The Iconic Pokémon Logo Was Created

Chris Maple, a Seattle-based designer, got a surprise call from Nintendo of America’s president: rebrand Pocket Monsters for the West as “Pokémon” and whip up a fresh logo in just one month. At that point, the series only existed in Japan as Red and Green, and Nintendo was gearing up to launch Blue and a Pikachu Yellow Edition overseas.

With almost zero direction beyond the tight deadline, Maple nailed it—crafting what has become one of the world’s most recognizable logos and giving Pokémon the perfect badge for its leap from niche Japanese title to global craze.

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