If you’ve been in a Walmart recently you’ve probably noticed that they’ve changed their logo. To the untrained eye it would appear that Walmart just updated and modernized their logo. But if you examine the new logo from a neuromarketing perspective, you’ll discover that the changes made were done with scientific justification.

the changes in Walmart’s logo from sharp to rounded

Sharp Edges, Rounded Edges, and Your Brain

Since the brain is better at perceiving images before words,lets start with the star in the Walmart logo. In the old Walmart logo you’ll see what many consider to be a very standard looking star. Take a closer look at that old star and you’ll see that it’s very point and sharp. This is contrasting from the new “star” that Walmart placed in it’s new logo. Notice that the new “star” has rounded, softer edges.

Looking at the font you’ll see Walmart also decided to go with a similar rounded approach as well. Wherever possible the font was rounded down to give a cleaner look.

It might surprise you to find out the overall changes in the logo from sharp to rounded were based on a few million years of experience.

Evolution has actually molded the human brain to be averse to sharp edges. Think about early humans and even as far back to our apelike ancestors, now imagine the environment they were trying to survive in. Odds are back then if something was sharp it was dangerous: rocks, thorns, broken tree branches, etc.

The point I’m trying to make is that on the entire human evolutionary timeline we spent a lot more time in jungles, forests, and deserts than today’s apartments, homes, and houses. As a result of millions of years in the wild our brains unconsciously and intuitively avoid sharp edges to help keep us safe. Though we live in modern times, in modern environments, our brains still react the same way to sharp edges, no matter if it’s a font, a logo, or a jagged, rocky canyon.