Monotype and Alibaba have unveiled the Alibaba Sans typeface. Designed for Alibaba Group, of e-commerce, retail and technology fame, the typeface family is intended to help unify the company’s branding across its global apps, platforms and websites. With the launch, Alibaba is authorizing all merchants and brands free access to the font system to enable them to express their brand identity and create on-brand campaigns. Highly legible, energetic and expressive, the typeface family was designed by Akira Kobayashi of the Monotype Studio. It consists of 11 weights and was designed to work well from small to large sizes across any device or location. The typeface family supports 172 languages and was designed with a strong emphasis on numerals and currency symbols.
“Monotype understood our unique challenges and delivered a typeface that will take us to the next level in our branding efforts. We really appreciate their partnership as a true expert and extension of our team,” said Chris Tung, Chief Marketing Officer of Alibaba Group. “We would like to make this new typeface an inclusive resource for all partners and customers globally, and for free. True to our group mission, we are taking a concrete step forward to help small and medium-sized entrepreneurs participate in the digital economy through the power of design.” Adds Monotype’s Akira Kobayashi: “Alibaba Group faced a common but significant branding challenge, in that it needed to convey its brand values across a wide range of environments, both physically and digitally. It was a pleasure to work with a team so dedicated to the importance of type, and help Alibaba Group realize the potential that a custom typeface has for unifying a brand.”
