Brandon Tagupa - Toyota Santa Rosa

The Hidden Story Behind Toyota’s Legendary Three Ovals Logo.

In 1989, Masashi Uehara served as Art Director at the Nippon Design Center during the creation of Toyota’s iconic “Three Ovals” logo. This ambitious project, led by Creative Director Yusuke Kaji and overseen by the legendary designer Kazumasa Nagai, became a massive collaborative effort spanning five years. Developed to celebrate Toyota’s 50th anniversary, the emblem was crafted to deliver a unified visual identity that would support the company’s global expansion. The timeless design features two perpendicular inner ovals representing the overlapping hearts of the customer and the company, gracefully enclosed within a larger outer oval that symbolizes the world. Together, these elements subtly form the letter “T” for Toyota. The result is a sophisticated and meaningful logo that continues to embody harmony, trust, and worldwide ambition more than three decades later.