Brand Colors
Snapchat Brand Colors
Snapchat's primary brand color is Snapchat Yellow (#FFFC00), a near-pure yellow that's been the brand's defining color since launch in 2011. It pairs with white (#FFFFFF) and black (#000000); the yellow appears as a solid background behind the white ghost mascot 'Ghostface Chillah.'
| Color | HEX | RGB | Role | Usage |
|---|
| Snapchat Yellow | #FFFC00 | rgb(255, 252, 0) | Primary | App icon background, logo, brand accents |
| Ghost White | #FFFFFF | rgb(255, 255, 255) | Logo | Ghostface Chillah mascot, text on yellow |
| Black | #000000 | rgb(0, 0, 0) | Text | Body copy on white, UI text |
Snapchat was founded in 2011 by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown at Stanford. The yellow was reportedly chosen because Spiegel wanted a color no major tech brand was using — Facebook had blue, Twitter had light blue, Instagram was purple/orange. Yellow was unclaimed and stood out aggressively on phone home screens. The mascot 'Ghostface Chillah' was named by Spiegel after the Wu-Tang Clan member. The original logo included a face on the ghost; the 2013 redesign removed it, leaving the now-iconic outline.
Snapchat's brand is built almost entirely on the yellow + white ghost combination — no other primary brand colors exist. In-app accent colors (purple for chat, blue for stories, etc.) are UI tokens, not brand colors. The yellow must always appear at #FFFC00 with no tints or gradients; the ghost is always pure white.
Frequently asked questions
What is the exact hex code of Snapchat yellow?
Snapchat Yellow is #FFFC00 in HEX, rgb(255, 252, 0). It is a near-pure yellow (just slightly less saturated than pure #FFFF00) and has been the brand's primary color since launch in 2011.
Why is Snapchat's logo a ghost?
The ghost mascot, named 'Ghostface Chillah' after the Wu-Tang Clan member, represents the original concept of disappearing messages — like a ghost, the snaps vanish after viewing. The 2013 redesign removed the ghost's face for a cleaner silhouette.
Why did Snapchat choose yellow?
Founder Evan Spiegel chose yellow because no major tech brand was using it in 2011 — Facebook had blue, Twitter had light blue, Instagram had purple/orange. Yellow stood out on phone home screens and gave Snapchat an unmistakable identity.