A few notes about the design approach:

Extrapolating from the ‘pirate’ theme, this design represents a nautical compass. The compass evokes a feeling of exploration, and discovery, much like the eBay experience.

Another aspect of the compass is the inclusion of cultures across the world, representing eBay’s diversity in both employees and users.

The points of the compass are peaks, or verticals; each representing multiple vertical teams.

 ‘Vertical’ is singular in that this logo is a singular piece of a collective whole. This acknowledges the individual and their contributions to a greater goal.

The colors are limited for a simple, high contrast design, with the accent color adding a burst of flair. BAM!!

The design itself lends itself well to the DS6 color palette.