Benesse Corporation

Background

Benesse Corporation (ベネッセコーポレーション, Benesse Kōporēshon) is a Japanese company which focuses on publishing educative materials. The company is largely known for the Kodomo Challenge and Shimajiro franchises.

1st Logo (1990s-2000s)

Logo: Over a white background, a large, green stick figure of a person extending its arms to the left, in a "walking" pose, fades in from the left with the words "Benesse Corporation" in two lines at the top-right of the screen. Both zoom out as another stick figure in orange, with a plain pose emerges next to the green figure. Another blue stick figure bounces in next to the other two, with its arms and legs extended.

Variant: The logo is extended on home video releases.

FX/SFX: The animation of the stick figures and the zooming.

Music/Sounds: A 4-note ascending string theme, with a group of people saying "Benesse".

Availability: Rare. Was mostly seen on commercials by the company during the time. However, an extended version also appeared on home video releases of Shimajiro and Kodomo Challenge they've distributed.

Legacy: Young Japanese have considered this logo as unsettling, especially on home video releases where the signal of quality control would appear after this.