The Burger King logo, distinguished by originality and “appetizing,” represents a popular restaurant chain. The bright and memorable emblem has become a symbol of unique taste and high quality, reflecting the beginning of the brand’s era and a tribute to the past.
Burger King: Brand overview
Founded: | 1954 |
Founder: | David Edgerton, James McLamore |
Headquarters: |
Miami, Florida, U.S. |
Website: | bk.com |
Meaning and History
The original company was called Insta Burger King. Its emblem had an icon resembling the sun. But a year later, the founders began to experience financial difficulties and sold the company to David Edgerton and James McLamore, who renamed it, Burger King. Over the next 50 years, she changed owners four times, reflected in the corporate design.
The company is the second most recognized brand in the world among fast-food restaurants, of course, after the famous McDonald’s Golden Arch. In many ways, this became possible due to a very bright and memorable logo.
Initially, the company logo had only one textual embodiment (even before David Edgerton and James McLamore acquired the company’s shares). The image of the king of hamburgers flaunted on restaurant signs and was actively promoted in the media.
In the decades that followed, logos were quite complex in terms of the number of elements and details. Their integral part was the king himself (the same Burger King), who was sitting on a hamburger with a glass of drink and a pipe in his hand.
The company adopted the logo, which later became the prototype for the current logo in 1967. It was so successful that it underwent only minor changes. And since then, all versions of the logos have a simple design and a delightful and memorable color scheme.
For many years, the logo consisted of two halves of buns (Bun Halves) with the company’s name in between. This detail has become a key part of the brand’s image.
What is Burger King?
Burger King is the corporation that runs the eponymous fast-food restaurant brand. At the same time, she herself belongs to Burger King Holdings and Restaurant Brands International Inc. Its predecessor was Insta-Burger King, founded in 1953 and named after the Insta-Broiler oven, where the patties were originally fried. It was renamed in 1959 after restructuring.
1953 – 1954
The debut logo looked like a rising or setting sun. It was a half-disk with short triangular beams. The color scheme is gray-black.
1954 – 1957
The merit of the franchisors was that they cut off an extra word from the name. Therefore, the emblem of that period looks minimalistic, practical, and restrained. There is nothing superfluous on it – only the name made in black letters on a white background. The font is individual, with a shortened stem at the “R” and pointed ends at the “U.”
1957 – 1969
The following owners of the establishment redesigned the logo to emphasize the phrase “Burger King.” They used an image of a king sitting on a large burger with a drink in a plastic glass. Below on a yellow background is written the company’s name and the phrase “Home of the Whopper.” That is, it was an advertising badge, not a trademark designation. The logo was very colorful. In addition to yellow, it contained red (two types), blue, white, and black (for contours). In parallel, the previous version of the logo appeared: it was included in the inscription.
1969 – 1994
In 1969, the company switched to an updated logo. It shows a bun cut in two, and the name of a restaurant chain is placed between the halves in two tiers. This option lasted a short time and was revived in 2019 for Super Bowl LIII (took place in February) and the third season of the Netflix series Stranger Things (May).
The color scheme is borrowed from the previous version, but the form, composition, and style have received dramatic changes. The bold red lettering takes center stage in a rounded sans serif font with smooth lines. The designers stretched the “King” part to create the best balance between long and short words.
1994 – 1999
This emblem is an improved version of the previous one. It was introduced in April 1994 with less cartoonish text. The Burger King lettering style is austere, with straight letters and a fluffy top of an improvised bun.
1999 – 2021
On the eve of the new century, Burger King redesigned its logo again. It was developed by the professional studio Sterling Brands. Outwardly, it resembles the original 1969 version and the 1994 version. The only difference is the blue C-shaped crescent that complements the logo. The company name is still found inside the burger between the two halves of the loaf. But it’s zoomed in, diagonally positioned, and written in a modern sans-serif typeface.
The color of the logo is extremely important for catering. From the very beginning, the designers aimed to stimulate potential buyers’ appetite by using very mouth-watering images and colors. The colors of the modern logo match the ultra-modern fast-food culture. The owners perfectly understood this and tried to fill the logo with paints as close as possible to the natural color of bread, meat, vegetables. As a result, they chose juicy yellow, orange, red, and recently supplemented them with blue.
2021 – today
The current logo is a harmonious stylization of the two previous versions. From the 1969-1994 emblem, the designers borrowed rounded letters, and from the 1994-1999 version, the shape of a bun. The element that unites them is a light lilac background, on which is an impromptu yellow-orange burger with red lettering inside.
Font and Colors
Thanks to constant renewal, brand identity is now recognizable all over the world. It visually stylized the name of the restaurant chain – Burger King. That is, the most successful variants have a large mouth-watering “burger king.”
The Burger King logo has used different fonts at different times. They were smooth, bubbly, convex, streamlined, or, on the contrary, strict. One of the older versions resembles the TILT typeface, the modern ones – VAG Rounded ExtraBold.
The corporate palette consists of colors that are as close as possible to the theme of food. They awaken the appetite, which is very important for the marketing promotion of a fast-food restaurant. Therefore, the management chose yellow-orange (the natural color of the crust of buns) and red, which actively whet the appetite.
Burger King color codes
Rosso Corsa | Hex color: | #d62300 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 214 35 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 84 100 16 | |
Pantone: | PMS Bright Red C |
Blaze Orange | Hex color: | #ff8732 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 255 135 50 | |
CMYK: | 0 47 80 0 | |
Pantone: | PMS 1585 C |
Old Lace | Hex color: | #f5ebdc |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 245 235 220 | |
CMYK: | 0 4 10 4 | |
Pantone: | PMS 7604 C |
What does the Burger King logo represent?
The Burger King logo bears the restaurant chain’s name, and the designers have made it so that the inscription is associated with a cutlet. To do this, they dyed it brown and placed it between the two halves of a cut burger bun.
Why did Burger King change its logo?
The Burger King logo was redesigned in 2021 because the owners wanted the new design to echo the classic 1969 concept, so it is a symbol of the beginning of a new era and a tribute to the past. The logo designers made it more ‘appetizing’ by using the natural color of baked goods for the bun and the shade of a well-done cutlet for the text.
What does the logo symbolize Burger King Logo?
The Burger King logo symbolizes a delicious hamburger. To do this, the designers drew a stylized bun, cut in two, and placed in the middle of the ‘patty’ - the brand’s name. In this way, a fast food restaurant’s logo advertises itself, attracts visitors, and demonstrates the basis of the menu.
What kind of logo is Burger King?
Burger King has a fashion logo. It creates an appetite in the onlookers and makes them stop by to order a delicious hamburger. To do this, the designers depicted it as large, lush, and in natural colors. As a result, the yellow bun repeats the palette of fresh pastries, and the words located inside are painted in the color of a well-done patty. That is, when looking at the emblem, it is clear to a person: the restaurant serves simple and tasty food.
Why does Burger King have a new logo?
The new Burger King logo came out in 2021. This is due to the promotion of the concept of naturalness - the fact that the food in this fast food chain is prepared from clean and fresh products. The connection with history was also emphasized - with past emblems, simple and visually clear. That year, the franchise updated everything: the symbol, the uniform, the interior design, the packaging. The creative studio Jones Knowles Ritchie worked on the task.
Is the Burger King mascot a man or woman?
The talisman is a man. This is the king whose image first appeared in the Burger King logo in 1957. After he was removed from the emblem, this character began to be used separately and animated for advertising. Since 2004, it has perfectly complemented the name of the fast food restaurant chain.
When was the Burger King logo used?
The Burger King logo was first used in 1953. The image of the king in it appeared in 1957. Then began the era of the hamburger with the name in the middle. It was introduced in 1969 and is still relevant, despite minor adjustments.
What is the meaning behind the Burger King logo?
The meaning behind the Burger King logo is very simple: delicious and high-quality food, king-size portion, affordability, friendly atmosphere. Thus, the identity fully fulfills its task - promoting the network and attracting visitors.
Who designed the Burger King logo?
Artists Kramer and Matthew Burns created the very first Burger King logo. Then a gray sun with triangular rays was painted on it. Sterling Brands created a round and colorful version. The modern update (2021) was carried out by Jones Knowles Ritchie.
Who is the Burger King mascot based off of?
The mascot of this fast food chain is based on the image of a hamburger king that is very large. In 1957, designers depicted it literally: the Burger King logo featured a king sitting not on a throne but on a bun cut in two, in which, instead of a cutlet, there was the restaurant’s name.
When was the old Burger King logo used?
The old Burger King hamburger logo was first used in 1969. Despite minor adjustments, it was in use until 1999 inclusive. In 2021, the company brought the hamburger back to the emblem. And the oldest sign dates back to the time of the appearance of the fast food chain - 1953. It depicted the sun with triangular rays.