Google turns 27: Why the 'l' is in the original logo 'green' - the story behind the colors

Google celebrates its 27th birthday with a special Doodle with the first logo of 1998. In this article we decode the idea behind the different colors selected in the logo, and why the alphabet ‘l’ was initially green, which makes it different from others. Today has been 27 years since the California company started its journey, and to celebrate, Google has revealed a special Doodle. (Google) Tech giant Google celebrates its 27th birthday on Saturday (September 27, 2025). The company was established in 1998 to organize data and information and make it accessible to users worldwide. Google celebrates with a special Doodle today 27 years since the California company started, and to celebrate, Google has revealed a special death. The company, which reflects on its origin as a small research project in a garage, emphasizes how remarkable innovations can come from the modest. The Doodle displays Google’s very first logo from 1998, which offers a nostalgic look at the 1990s, while also inviting users to investigate the company’s latest progress in AI, according to a blog post from Google. Why is the “L” Green? It is a detail that often becomes unnoticed, but every other letter in the logo uses a primary color and it was no coincidence. The design was intentional, giving the logo a unique turn that helps to become one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. Chances are you encounter it several times every day. The color pattern behind the logo The majority of the letters follow primary colors: two blues, two red and one yellow. But the green “l” breaks the pattern, which indicates that Google wants to think differently and does not always play according to the rules. “There were many color iterations,” the graphic designer Ruth Kedar explained in an interview with Wired more than twenty years ago. Interestingly, Google also made its first server at Stanford University in Lego blocks in blue, red and yellow famous. Before deciding with the current design, Google experimented with various arrangements. An earlier version had a green g and l, a red o and e, a yellow o and a blue G. Even an initial concept contains three red letters (g, o and e), a blue o, a green g and a yellow l, which was considered unattractive. The Orginial Google -Logo. In the end, the designers chose the primary colors, but deliberately placed a secondary color on the ‘L’, strengthening the idea that Google does not always follow the rules.