Target introduced its famous red bullseye logo when the company adopted the Target name in 1962.
The logo was designed to communicate the idea of hitting a target directly and memorably. Target used a red-and-white bullseye, a simple symbol that could work on storefronts, packaging, advertisements, and shopping bags. The company’s first Target store opened in Roseville, Minnesota, that year.
Target was created by Dayton Company, a department-store business based in Minneapolis. The new chain was intended to bring a more stylish presentation to discount retail. Although Target’s parent company later changed its corporate identity, the bullseye remained central to the brand.
The symbol is sometimes mistaken for a generic logo associated with several retailers, but the red bullseye is specifically identified with Target. The company has periodically simplified the mark while retaining its basic concentric-circle design.