Google Packs Its Colors Into Ampersand Logo For Arts & Culture Rebrand

Google uses the fun factor to introduce the public into the art world via its Arts & Culture platform. Now, as the web transitions into the metaverse, the tech giant is apparently broadening its horizons to include virtual experiences too, extending on its vision to make art accessible to all. To mark this evolution, Google Arts & Culture appears to be rebranding.

As first spotted by 9to5Google, the company recently applied for two trademarks depicting a “stylized ampersand” at the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). These would replace the old-fashioned museum symbol that Arts & Culture has been using for years.

The first version tastefully splashes Google’s color palette of green, red, yellow, and blue across the ampersand, unifying Arts & Culture with the company’s other services. The Play Store and Chrome also had logo overhauls this year to harmonize with Google’s entire design ecosystem.

The other filing features the same mark but in full black.

As you know, the ampersand is the sign for the word “and” and symbolizes that there’s something more. Google’s documents interestingly describe the logos potentially being used on “virtual tours and virtual reality content, all in the fields of art, music, culture, history, architecture, entertainment, media, science, and emerging technologies,” among several other applications the Art & Culture platform already covers.

An updated Wikipedia page confirms that the ampersand is the brand-new logo for Arts & Culture, 9to5Google discovers.

All this signifies big changes for Google Arts & Culture, and it’s exciting to see what else is in store. As the industry begins to embrace new concepts like the virtual realm, non-fungible tokens, and even AI-generated art, there’s a whole world of source material that the platform can explore.

[via 9to5Google and USPTO, images via various sources]