The Cheetos logo is textual, without a single hand-drawn icon. It is purely informative: it consists of a name designed in a corporate style – business and minimalistic. The inscription is in cursive calligraphy. The exception is the modern version with pointed protrusions.
Cheetos: Brand overview
Founded: | 1948 |
Founder: | Charles Elmer Doolin |
Headquarters: |
United States |
Website: | cheetos.com |
Cheetos is a snack brand made by PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay. The crunchy, flaky corn snack originated in 1948 with the invention of Charles Elmer Doolin. Since then, he began distributing it actively in the United States and worldwide. Due to the vast sales region, the product has its taste in each country – original, corresponding to the cultural preferences of the population. Therefore, now the line includes a huge number of branded chips. There are 21 varieties in North America alone.
The history of this brand began in an ordinary home kitchen. More precisely, Charles Elmer Doolin experimented with a cheese-flavored corn snack in a Texas kitchen in Dallas. The trial batch was successful and sold out quickly, but the entrepreneur did not have the necessary capacities to set up the production of goods in large volumes. He then partnered with Herman Lay and introduced the Cheetos in 1948. After the merger of Frito-Lay (a company of Doolin and Lay) with Pepsi-Cola, these snacks became known far beyond the North American continent.
Meaning and History
At first, the product was called Chee-tos, which was reflected on its label. Each pack of corn-and-cheese appetizers was adorned with a large inscription in imitation of individual handwriting. The letters were cursive, calligraphic, sliding, and rounded. There was a bold dot between the two parts of the title. Later it was remade into an en dash and then disappeared altogether. Consolidated spelling first appeared in 1996, and two years later, it was finally fixed in the identity. In total, this brand has seven emblems.
What is Cheetos?
Cheetos is an international grocery brand owned by PepsiCo Corporation through its subsidiary Frito-Lay. He is engaged in manufacturing and selling corn and cheese chips with various flavors. To date, 21 species are known, based on the national preferences of the countries for which these snacks are intended. They first appeared in 1948 when Charles Elmer Doolin developed them.
1948 – 1963
The neat inscription was on a red rectangle. The letters were white, wide, and connected, with smooth transitions. Such a logo looked like a short text made in individual handwriting. “C” was uppercase, and the other characters were lowercase. The “t” had an extension in the area of the upper crossbar: it went beyond the “o” and ended at the “s.”
1963 – 1981
During this period, the horizontal rectangle and the red background disappeared. The letters were stretched up and became narrow. The connection between the glyphs was preserved, and the slope was made more distinct, as seen in the example of “s.” For the lettering, the designers chose blue.
1981 – 1995
The Cheetos logo used a white oval, on which the bright blue lettering was visible. The style has remained the same.
1995 – 1998
To diversify and modernize the emblem, the developers placed it diagonally, changed the font, and added a red border. The logo was a black rectangle with a jagged edge that looked broken or gnawed. Also, the “C” was separated from the rest of the title, so the font was semi-cohesive.
1996 – 1998
This version of the logo had a hook typeface. The letters were hastily written and far from smooth calligraphic handwriting. They were located at different heights, so they looked like they were jumping. Such unevenness introduced a hidden harmony into the text because the glyphs resembled long scattered snacks of various shapes. The thin red border line was shifted to the very edge of the letters, and the edge of the black rectangle was even more deformed – as if torn.
1998 – 2001
The designers streamlined the text, connecting the letters again so the inscription was coherent. In addition, they expanded the lines, which caused the glyphs to grow in size. They kept the uneven (torn) edge of the geometric figure but lightened the background so that a muted shade was used – smoky black instead of ultra-black.
2001 – today
Despite the disappearance of handwriting with jumping type, the letters did not look smooth. They received both rounding and sharp spikes protruding to the left. Such a sharpening appeared in each character. The inscription has become diagonal-horizontal: the “Che” fragment goes uphill diagonally, and “etos” occupies an even horizontal position. Due to the thin edging strip, the glyphs are voluminous. The yellow letters also have a black background to match their outlines. It goes beyond the inscription, so it seems to be surrounded by a frame.
Font and Colors
Cheetos chips received a logo divided into periods: before 1996-1998 and after. The original version of the name contained a dash, which was an obligatory part of the brand’s visual identity. However, later management combined both fragments and removed the sign separating them. The result is a modern version of the emblem.
The Cheetos logo uses a unique identification font that was designed specifically for the brand and does not have an official name. This typeface has been specially designed to give the Cheetos logo a distinctive style and recognizability. Now, these are wide letters with sharp protrusions at the top. They are painted yellow and complemented by a black background. In addition, red, white, and blue were present at different times.
The Cheetos emblem uses orange and yellow in its palette. Orange is a rich color that is associated with warmth, energy, fun, and optimism. Yellow is the color associated with the sun, joy, friendliness, and creativity. Both colors go well together, creating a memorable look.
These colors are important for the Cheetos brand as they help create a recognizable and identifiable brand image. Orange, in particular, has become a brand symbol and is associated with the product itself – orange Cheetos chips. Yellow, in turn, gives the logo and brand energy and a positive attitude.
For customers, bright colors create an impression of fun and joy, which is consistent with associations with a light and tasty snack, such as Cheetos chips. In addition, the color orange can induce appetite and be associated with food.
Cheetos color codes
Titanium Yellow | Hex color: | #eee817 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 238 232 23 | |
CMYK: | 0 3 90 7 | |
Pantone: | PMS 3945 C |
Peru | Hex color: | #d7914a |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 215 145 74 | |
CMYK: | 0 33 66 16 | |
Pantone: | PMS 7413 C |
Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |