Why did Subway Change its Logo after 15 years?

The new logo still had the green and yellow elements only this time it seemed like they had perfected the style. perhaps this time their RGB to HEX game is on point. In 2016 Subway took a significant leap by changing its brand identity. The new logo still had the green and yellow elements only this time it seemed like they had perfected the style. The last time the franchise changed its logo was in 2001.

Previously patrons were used to a black font for the old subway logo, now it is more of a minimalistic design. The arrows on the s in the beginning and y in the end are still there. The company also came up with a brand new icon which is an s incorporating both the arrows and both the colors.

As part of changing their brand identity, they have also added new items to a premium menu, Subway is considering this revamp the next big step in the evolution of the sandwich chain.

The president and CEO of subway Suzzane Greco stated that they are on an exciting new journey as they cater to the changing tastes of the patrons. She also said that Subway is one brand which is recognized. The change in the logo will only reinforce the brand’s dedication and passion for staying forward thinking and fresh. The design is clear, confident and yet has so much of the old subway log that it has not lost sight of its heritage and overall brand persona.

Another tricky thing Subway did as part of introducing the new logo was to advertise it during the opening ceremony of the Olympics on NBC. As soon as the New Year began every country and franchise branch had the new logo.

Competitive Edge

There are a lot of reports that also state that the fact of the matter is that Subway was unable to keep up with competition and in 2015 was losing out to other chains by 3.4%. The new logo is meant to offer the sandwich place a fresh new start where they make use of rotisserie chicken and carved turkey breast. It also has a new tech division called Subway Digital.

When you compare the new logo with the old subway logo, you will find that the new one is successfully communicative and harbors a long-spanned corresponsive identity which is very important when you are transitioning a brand identity.

History of Subway and the Subway Logo

During the summer of 1965 in Bridgeport Connecticut, a 17-year-old high- schooler Fred DeLuca wanted a way he could pay for his college fee. At a barbeque with his family, a friend of the family Dr. Buck suggested to the teenager that he opens a submarine sandwich shop as he had seen so many in his hometown open and thrive. The same doctor lent Deluca a thousand dollars entering into a partnership and allowing the Submarine shops to open in August 1965.

It only took one year for the pair to open a second shop. This was the time to make strategic growth plans. They noticed that the key to the success of the business and a way to make people switch from competitor brands the needed visibility. So the third shop that they opened was in a much more visible and familiar spot, that one franchise is still open today. At the same time, they also decided to shorten the name of the shop and came up with Pete’s Subway. At the time they introduced the yellow logo with the arrows around Subway.

In 1968 the brand dropped the word Pete’s and became Subway. At this point the next step in their business plan was franchising. In 1974 they opened the first Subway franchise in Connecticut.

In 2002 they introduced the more dominant logo that we remember with the white and yellow font. In 2015 the brand played and experimented with slight variations which felt like an attempt to return to

the original look. The new logo has no italics, and have more of the curves that were present in the font of Pete’s Subway.

Why are there Arrows in the Subway Logo

The story behind the arrows in the Subway logo is fascinating. Out of all the things in the logo, the arrows are the one thing that remained constant throughout. The arrows denote an essential quality of the franchise that you can have a sandwich on the go with ease. The arrow on the S represents entrance, and the arrow on Y represents the exit from Subway. It makes it one of the most unique things about the brand that is recognized all over the world.The number’s stats are provide by our friends at HattanMedia

Today Subway employs 450,000 people in 44000 outlets across 111 countries. Forbes states that Peter Buck accumulated a fortune worth 3.6 billion USD. Fred DeLuca died in 2015 at the age of 67, his net worth was 3.5 billion USD.