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Welcome to, as I found out this morning, the complicated world of Yellow Pages, Yellow Books and Walking Fingers. Like “Xerox” or “Kleenex”, “Yellow Pages” has come to signify the market for those bulky telephone directories that magically appear at your doorstep when you least expect it. Yellow pages have existed since the late 19th century and now comprise a global network of directories published by different phone companies or local entities, and even specialty yellow pages developed for specific neighborhoods and target audiences. The Walking Fingers logo, the “Let Your Fingers Do The Walking” slogan, and Yellow Pages name were first introduced in 1961 by AT&T, and the subsidiary regional operating companies that made up the Bell System, but the logo was never trademarked by AT&T and, actually, AT&T happily allowed others to use the logo — this, of course, was rosy when AT&T was a monopoly and you didn’t have Verizon, or SBC bombarding you with yellow bricks.
Original (top) and other yellow pages logos.
With the Walking Fingers logo available in the public domain, most phone directory publishers have used the logo to gain instant recognition. The problem, of course, is that it’s impossible to distinguish one phone directory from the next — I sure know I can’t, and specially nowadays with all the information available online, phone directories are irremediably obsolete and easier to ignore. Having said that, phone directories, and yellow pages in particular, have enjoyed a revival online, providing easy access to the information that is otherwise unbrowseable in that air-thin paper that paints your fingers black. One of the major players in this field is Yellow Book USA, which publishes the printed Yellow Book and yellowbook.com, and it recently launched a new web site and logo.
I have absolutely zero information on who designed the logo or what was the impetus behind the change. It’s obvious that the logo needed an update, in part because of the typography — hello Serpentine Bold Oblique! — and in other, because I can’t imagine any company being interested in having a logo that anyone else can have. Certainly, that doesn’t mean that you should create a creepy logo. The new walking fingers for Yellowbook are the stuff nightmares are made of, at least mine… I can feel those detached, prickly fingers creeping up my leg to strangle me in my sleep. But I digress. The new typography is more contemporary and follows the lowercasing trend of corporate and consumer names, and the fingers have a more dynamic representation, so the theory is good, but the final execution is awkward. And with the black and yellow combination, I could not help but think of the Sprint logo immediately. Fingers and hands have always been a challenge for designers and, here, the challenge has claimed one more victim.
Thanks to Andrew Kidd for the tip.
Bonus material: New Zealand Yellow Pages ad
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Paddy C’s comment is:
I've always thought the logo and icon were very smart and well executed. I was completely unaware that they (or at least the logo) can be used freely.
It's all a bit confusing.
Your assessment of the stylized fingers is dead-on. Yikes! They barely resemble fingers and we can only make that connection because we have as reference past iterations of the icon. They are very slithery. Boo.
On May.02.2008 at 10:07 AM
Paddy C’s comment is:
Sorry, I meant to write "tag line and icon" not "logo and icon."
On May.02.2008 at 10:09 AM
Samantha Armacost’s comment is:
I, too, instantly thought of Sprint. The logo also brings to mind a cartoon of personified flame often seen in Silly Symphonies or the like.
On May.02.2008 at 10:19 AM
Matt’s comment is:
You're right. It's oddly creepy. I live in a town with a large yellowbook presence, so I'm sure I'll see this creepy logo everywhere.
On May.02.2008 at 10:34 AM
felix sockwell’s comment is:
this is one of the worst rebrandings in history. hello? yes, Arsenio Hall called.. wants his creepy long french fry fingers back.
lets your fingers do the walking?
how about crawling... its a fucking SNAIL!
prediction: it gets squished... silently...
On May.02.2008 at 10:45 AM
Needles’s comment is:
Reminds me of:
Armin’s comment is:
I just added a YouTube video I had forgotten to post. Somehow this Walking Fingers logo is simply prone to creepiness.
On May.02.2008 at 10:58 AM
Kosal’s comment is:
I'd like to see the animated execution of this. Looks like someone found use for the swirl effect in illustrator.
On May.02.2008 at 11:02 AM
nicelogo.com’s comment is:
I would have suggested steering clear of the finger - give it the bird!
It's a shame. This branding opportunity could have took a big finger-step further and created a unique mark.
This solution truly took a step backwards into the sea of sameness.
On May.02.2008 at 11:09 AM
Peter Lewis’s comment is:
That video is the creepiest thing I've seen all day. Actually all week.
On May.02.2008 at 11:09 AM
Just Some Guy’s comment is:
I don't understand why they're replaced the walking fingers with a banana peel.
On May.02.2008 at 11:14 AM
Garrett Dimon’s comment is:
I immediately thought it was a banana peel as well. It doesn't help that bananas are yellow and that the associations i reinforced through the color.
On May.02.2008 at 11:32 AM
John Mindiola III’s comment is:
wow. this is worse than xerox. Grade: F.
On May.02.2008 at 11:40 AM
Bart O'Dell’s comment is:
Has anyone wondered why a company called yellowbook has a brand that is all black?
That bothers me.
On another note. I thought the commercial was very creative in an Addams Family kind of way! :)
On May.02.2008 at 11:46 AM
Mr Posen’s comment is:
Andrew Meyer’s comment is:
I never got that logo to begin with.
This one always looked, to me, like a woman walking with something sticking out of the back of her skirt. Eek...
I haven't really heard that "Let your hands to the walking" tag line, so it didn't make any sense.
Which leads me to my next point, why when a logo has been built off of a tagline, when you drop the tag line do you keep the logo? There is some recognizability associated with it, but I think just using "yellow" with pages or book is super recognizable on its own...
Anyway, I won't be using their service.. At least not on any day buy October 31st.
On May.02.2008 at 12:12 PM
lodenmuse’s comment is:
As 'legs,' the original walking fingers were both sexy and athletic. These new 'legs' are more similar to Vicky Beckham and her "get thin by starving" limbs. Attention-getting, but only fit for a hike to the limo and back.
It was only a few years ago, that in a big city, phone books would disappear the moment they were delivered, snatched up by info-hungry residents who wanted their own Yellow Book. Now, with the always-available internet and people constantly tele-connected to each other, Spring is passing and there are still plastic bags of phone books sitting on the sidewalk outside our building, starting to decay.
Which brings me to my first impression of this mark: banana peels aren't the only thing that wilt, get slippery and rot.
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
In an industry that is in the midst of a complete paradigm shift, I think a bigger departure in the branding was neccessary. Has anybody seen the Salad Fingers web cartoons? That's what the creepy hand remind me of. Ew.
On May.02.2008 at 12:17 PM
LadyN’s comment is:
First thing in my mind: The Grinch's fingers!!!
LMFAO @ banana peel. Or that. *shrug*
On May.02.2008 at 12:18 PM
ScottS’s comment is:
Absolutely horrendous. I can't think of a single good thing to say about this one...
On May.02.2008 at 12:22 PM
Doug Bartow’s comment is:
They should have used a coffin icon.
Phonebooks are dead.
On May.02.2008 at 12:32 PM
Nathan Rutamn’s comment is:
I get what you're saying about the creepy fingers look, and it rubs me the wrong way too, but did everyone else miss that it also resembles a page turning? Picture the upper-right corner of a YellowBook being turned. See it?
On May.02.2008 at 12:36 PM
Andrew’s comment is:
It's missing the one thing that makes human, human... a thumb. It' doesn't even reference to a thumb tucked under. It's just two amputated fingers doing a poor Ginger Rodgers impersonation.
On May.02.2008 at 01:05 PM
Michael’s comment is:
The original logo always made me think of an unsavoury pornographic pose (the 'spread-shot' or 'split-beaver').
The shape of the pages of the open book do somewhat resemble the mons veneris.
I'm sorry, I have lowered the tone.
I'll get my coat ...
On May.02.2008 at 01:11 PM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
Bart O'Dell’s comment is:
Von that is one of your best ones to date!
On May.02.2008 at 01:25 PM
MADPHILL’s comment is:
.BANANA.
On May.02.2008 at 01:52 PM
Kyle’s comment is:
yik
On May.02.2008 at 02:19 PM
chris’s comment is:
one word: STUPID!
On May.02.2008 at 02:25 PM
dg3’s comment is:
Lame. At least it's in line with their awful television commercials (w/David Carradine).
On May.02.2008 at 02:51 PM
Chad K’s comment is:
what the hell is that
On May.02.2008 at 04:20 PM
John C’s comment is:
Why do they even have yellow books anyway? Don't we have Google to look up phone numbers?
On May.02.2008 at 04:43 PM
Mark’s comment is:
AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Those new finger look hideous! fingers just don't bend that way!
why why why are those fingers so baaaaaad? How could the designers screw this up???? It would seem impossible to do such a bad representation, yet they managed to do it.
I want to cry.
Anyway, nice ad that you included there.
Also, have you actually tried walking your fingers through the yellow pages to turn them yourself? It's not a very convenient way of flipping through the yellow pages, results with a lot of bent pages and it takes longer to turn pages that way hahahahaha maybe the symbol wasn't meant to be taken literally.
On May.02.2008 at 05:18 PM
LadyN’s comment is:
I'm just wondering how much time Von spends on these .gifs....lol
Can we just hire him for every critique?
On May.02.2008 at 05:30 PM
Mark’s comment is:
I think I know where they got the inspiration from.
Dawn’s comment is:
yeah my dad has worked for the yellowpages for years and i told him about this new logo yellowbook created and he said it was the yellowpages' own stupid fault that everyone used the walking fingers because someone in the company forgot to stinking renew the copyright rights on it when it had to be renewed. time lapsed and someone grabbed at the opportunity to copy them.
On May.02.2008 at 07:37 PM
marko savic’s comment is:
The Adam's Family called, they want their copyright back.
Those fingers are seriously horrible. It looks like they were trying to mirror the angle of the y, but then make it look more human by thickening it, and then making it look like its "flicking" a page. However, that is how you flick a paper football, and not flick a page. Horrendous. But the type is better, anyhow.
I'm going to have nightmares about this.
On May.02.2008 at 07:46 PM
Luke’s comment is:
The new logo is somewhat horrible! Changing the walking fingers is like changing the (i) symbol for information... it's universally accepted so why muck with it?
On another note... this is the best Yellow Pages ad ever :)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2akt3P8ltLM&feature=related
Logo Critic’s comment is:
Cringe-worthy. The old logo was timeless. This will become dated within a few years.
On May.02.2008 at 11:02 PM
Joe Moran’s comment is:
Better! Ha!
sukisouk’s comment is:
i also always like the original fingers :)
for me it was a hand, and also ?!
(questionmark–exclamation mark / question–answer)
i thought everybody reads it like that O.O
Mark’s comment is:
Where's the yellow?
On May.03.2008 at 09:17 AM
Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:
Looks like the proverbial banana peel. As my eight year-old son would say "Booo!"
On May.03.2008 at 01:29 PM
Glenn ’s comment is:
Looks like the proverbial banana peel. As my eight year-old son would say "Booo!"
On May.03.2008 at 01:29 PM
Prescott Perez-Fox’s comment is:
I agree with Mark, where's the yellow? It's like those tests where you see the word "blue" written in red, and it messes with your brain.
And Von, that animation is great.
On May.03.2008 at 10:53 PM
Hayes Image’s comment is:
Goodbye both logical & recognizable symbol...hello terrified, motion blurred crab-thing?
On May.04.2008 at 05:23 AM
T-Bone’s comment is:
i usually only post if i have positive feedback, but this is really bad. who? why? whyyyyyy???
On May.04.2008 at 06:18 PM
LK2183’s comment is:
The typography is much improved, but I agree with most others, the hand is flat out creepy and barely distinguishable. Does anyone recognize the typeface?
On May.05.2008 at 02:22 AM
Doug Bartow’s comment is:
Does anyone recognize the typeface?
It's Eurostyle-bold italic. aka: Euromode in Windows.
It's italic (err, oblique), and that means movement...
(sarcasm)
On May.05.2008 at 10:56 AM
björn’s comment is:
i just saw the old logo the other day and thought how timeless and nice, and even quirky the mark was.
it's truly sad to see it in this state.
why not go with the new zealand update? take away the cliche 3d and there is something quite nice keeping with the tone of the old.
">">">http://content.ypgselfservice.co.nz/iyp/home/images/nzyp_logo.gif>
kenc’s comment is:
I like it. It is fresh, classy, and current. Matches where they want to take the company -- into the future no matter what the platform may be...
On May.05.2008 at 03:15 PM
Josh’s comment is:
Looks like a banana to me, not even human.
They've made some anatomical mistakes that are pretty common these days, but this is the worst case I've ever seen.
We recognize the body's features in large part by the volumes that the bones make under the skin. Get these wrong, or in this case forget to draw them, and things get cartoonish. When designers simplify, there are some things that shouldn't be left out.
The old logo's thumb was a little too short, but the heel of the hand was strongly felt and overall it felt very true.
The second thing that bothers me is that there's just no reason for the mark's shape. It barely answers the drop of the Y, and it has no formal underpinnings of its own. It's goop.
I'd like to know who did this. I'm tempted to say they got away with something, but I suspect there's going to be a backlash.
On May.05.2008 at 05:04 PM
Mark’s comment is:
Here's more reasons behind the logo they can be seen on this page, I sort of see where they're going here but seriously I know they could of executed it better.
[URL]http://corporate.yellowbook.com/about/press-room/121/[/URL]
On May.05.2008 at 08:51 PM
Mark’s comment is:
Here's more reasons behind the logo they can be seen on this page, I sort of see where they're going here but seriously I know they could of executed it better.
http://corporate.yellowbook.com/about/press-room/121/
On May.05.2008 at 08:54 PM
Shane’s comment is:
I actually am enjoying the new logo, and although I do agree it is similar to the style of the new sprint logo, I love the new Sprint logo, and I also really am loving this new logo. I think the fingers are VERY well executed. I'm also enjoying the new font choice.
On May.06.2008 at 11:34 AM
Jason’s comment is:
That video creeps me out.
On May.06.2008 at 01:20 PM
Glenn’s comment is:
It appears to be getting sucked into a black hole. All it needs is a vacuum sound effect to go with it. The typography is an improvement though.
On May.06.2008 at 03:15 PM
Mark’s comment is:
Glenn that's the same thing I was thinking when
I first saw it as well!
Yikes! this logo is bad.
On May.07.2008 at 08:50 AM
ZedZedEye’s comment is:
**ring **ring
-YELLOW...
yellow?
-YES
Oh I'm sorry, I must have the wrong brand.
On May.08.2008 at 08:21 AM
lushsight’s comment is:
how about this one:
KemmesteSmole’s comment is:
Hello. I am DruMotana
I am like this forum. Excuse me me for my emotions!
c-lo’s comment is:
i'm about to yak up my coffee.
On May.14.2008 at 09:58 AM
Pan Demonium’s comment is:
My first design job was working on yellow pages ads, often using the classic 'walking fingers' logo, so I take particular offense to this awful reworking. It positively screams, "E.T. phone home!"
On May.16.2008 at 05:16 PM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Josh:
"The old logo's thumb was a little too short, but the heel of the hand was strongly felt and overall it felt very true".
The THUMB is Drawn Correct it is FORESHORTENED to Illustrated the Bend!!!!!!!!
---------------------------------------------
While many people on this website talk about the ORIGINAL Yellow Pages Symbol.
Very few people have actually seen the ORIGINAL Yellow Pages Symbol.
The ORIGINAL was Designed by Young & Rubicam pre 1969 under the existing ATT Identity Designed by Sandgren & Murtha.
The Yellow Pages Symbol BJORN is showing
is not the ORIGINAL. It is a Redesign minus the 3 D-ing Designed by SAUL BASS in 1969 when he was commissioned by ATT to Develop and Design a new Identity.
The SAUL BASS Designed Yellow Pages Symbol is the most Omnipotent and Ubiquitous Yellow Pages Symbol
in History.
Thousands of Pictograms and Illustrations were drawn for the Yellow Pages Symbol by SAUL BASS and his staff.
The Design Execution is Times and FLAWLESS!!!!!!!
I'm fortunate enough to own the Yellow Pages Identity Manual Designed by SAUL BASS along with
30 Bell System Identity Manuals and AT&T.
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
On May.17.2008 at 12:32 AM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Posting again to correct text break and add additional information. Please remove first post.
Josh:
"The old logo's thumb was a little too short, but the heel of the hand was strongly felt and overall it felt very true".
The THUMB is Drawn Correct it is FORESHORTENED to Illustrated the Bend!!!!!!!!
---------------------------------------------
While many people on this website talk about the ORIGINAL Yellow Pages Symbol.
Very few people have actually seen the ORIGINAL Yellow Pages Symbol.
The ORIGINAL was Designed by Young & Rubicam pre 1969 under then existing ATT Identity Designed by Sandgren & Murtha.
The Yellow Pages Symbol BJORNis showing is not the ORIGINAL. It is a Redesign minus the 3 D-ing Designed by SAUL BASS in 1969 when he was commissioned by ATT to Develop and Design a new Identity.
The SAUL BASS Designed Yellow Pages Symbol is
the most Omnipotent and Ubiquitous Yellow Pages Symbol in History.
I'm fortunate enough to own the Yellow Pages Identity Manual Designed by SAUL BASS along with 30 Bell System Identity Manuals and AT&T.
Less I forget, memory serve me correctly the Yellow Book Symbol with Stripes was Redesigned by Richard Saul Wurman.
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
On May.17.2008 at 01:00 AM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Correction:
The The Yellow Pages Symbol Arm and Bjorn are showing were Designed by
SAUL BASS.
As stated the Original or 1st incarnation was Designed by Young & Rubicam. Not showcased.
I meant Richard Saul Wurman, Revitalized SAUL BASS existing Yellow Pages Identity by adding stripes.
On May.17.2008 at 10:16 AM
Mark’s comment is:
The link I had before doesn't work, what gives? :s
On May.17.2008 at 10:38 AM
Mark’s comment is:
wait, now it works again, must be something glitched or something.
On May.17.2008 at 10:41 AM
icognito’s comment is:
alot of you people are all missing the point. look at what yellowbook has accomplished in the last 20 years. then try to understand how a company that's very stable in an unstable market would even begin to think and operate in the realm of "outside the box" thinking. then you might start to understand yellowbook's mission statement. yellowbook is a very cutting edge company. my goodness yellowbook.com has over 13 million unique visitors a month just looking for local products and services. just go to yellowbook.com and look for yourself how user friendly and intuitive the engine is. one of the ideas with the new "futuristic" logo is that in the future over whatever platform that may be, yellowbook will continue to successfully connect buyers with sellers in the most efficient manner possible. anyway, for those taking jabs just to take jabs, do a little research on the company and i think you may just walk away a little amazed and perhaps even dumbfounded when you look at some of yellowbook's recent accomplishments.
just thought i'd chime in there with my .02 seeing how so many people on here have such a negative outlook. ;)
On May.20.2008 at 09:04 PM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Corrected entry:
In the SPIRIT of PROVIDING accurate 411.
From my Mentor and Friend Mr. Tom Ruzicka.
-------------------------
Hello, DesignMaven:
Actually, just so you know, the "Yellow Page" Walking Finger concept was developed by Cunningham & Walsh and Saul only undertook to spruce up C&W's original logo design.
Tom Ruzicka
Design Manager, Bell System, and AT&T 1968-1984
-------------------------
My profound apologies to Brand New Patrons,
must've had a Senior Moment.
DM
The Hostile Takeover of Corporate Identity
On Jun.11.2008 at 03:13 PM
Mark’s comment is:
something seems odd the logo seems look okay on the new tv ads with a yellow background, but on white it doesn't look right. hmmmm.
On Jun.12.2008 at 12:11 PM
Ty’s comment is:
It's just too abstract. The fingers barely pass for fingers.
On Jan.07.2009 at 03:36 PM
Broxx’s comment is:
Just do it: ,
On Apr.08.2009 at 02:48 PM
Morgan Smail’s comment is:
I've always thought the original walking hand idea (icon) was very clever, iconic and downright powerful...
However, I'm not so sure about that TV commercial...
did they really have to make the hands BLACK? very creepy indeed. I mean, they look like tarantulas for goodness sake. Were yellow hands not an option? sssheesh!
On Apr.08.2009 at 03:32 PM
Nathan McKinney’s comment is:
I think the new mark is appropriate. My yellow pages wind up in the trash.
On Apr.16.2009 at 01:46 PM
Comments in Brand New, V1.0 have been closed.
