General Mills Logo PNG
The General Mills logo consists of the wordmark and the iconic Big G symbol, originally appearing on cereal packaging. Since 2017, a red heart has been featured in the upper corner of the letter, symbolizing that the company does everything with love.
General Mills traces its history to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Cadwallader Washburn founded a wheat flour mill in 1866. With John Crosby, he improved the process for producing high-quality flour. In 1877, the Washburn “A” Mill opened as the largest mill of its time, with daily output tied to flour for 12 million loaves of bread.
In 1928, the company took the name General Mills after acquiring three breakfast-food businesses, including Gold Medal flour. The change moved the firm beyond milling and into packaged food. In the 1930s, General Mills entered the cereal market with Wheaties and Kix, then expanded into ice cream.
The 1940s and 1950s brought Cheerios, Trix, and Cocoa Puffs, along with frozen foods and pet food. In the 1960s and 1970s, the company expanded beyond its main food business by acquiring toy makers Parker Brothers and Kenner Products, and later entered the restaurant business with Red Lobster and Olive Garden.
In the 1980s and 1990s, General Mills returned its focus to food and beverages, separating from the restaurant and toy divisions. Later, it moved into natural and organic products through Annie’s Homegrown and EPIC Provisions, while responding to demand for organic and gluten-free food. Today, it operates in more than 100 countries and owns brands including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Pillsbury, Nature Valley, and Yoplait.
Meaning and History
The first General Mills logo reflected the company’s background. It was created based on several flour milling companies that united around the large Washburn-Crosby plant, which dates back to the mid-1800s. General Mills appeared in 1928, and its emblem featured a mill wheel. And over time, the iconic Big G badge was developed.
What is General Mills?
General Mills is an American food company. Its predecessor was a flour mill founded in Minneapolis in the mid-1800s. Flour is still included in the manufacturer’s assortment, but it is no longer the main product. The company focused on semi-finished products, canned food, bakery, and confectionery products.
1928 – 1949
The designers stylized the mill wheel by turning the blades and arranging them like flower petals. This part of the composition consisted of many orange and white stripes. In the center was a small navy blue circle monogrammed in orange with the initials “GMI.” The same dark blue ring framed the logo. It contained two ears of wheat at the bottom and the inscription “General Mills, Inc.” in white at the top. For the phrase, a flattened bold font with long serifs was used.
1949 – 1956
In the late 1940s, the mill wheel was on a large dark blue flag with a gold border. The orange color was changed to yellow. Solid triangles were used instead of “striped” components. Where there used to be a monogram, there were separate letters “G,” “M,” and “I.” The waving flag added dynamics to the logo. It was attached to a flagpole with a sharp, arrowhead-shaped tip.
1956 – 1959
Since the company produces television programs, it decided to stylize its logo to resemble a TV screen. As a result, the base has taken on a rectangular shape with rounded corners. It was dark blue and was inside a yellow frame. Inside was the brand’s name, which they displayed in bold white letters with short serifs. The dot above the “i” looked like a large yellow circle.
1959 – 1963
In 1960, the first version of the so-called Big G appeared on the packaging of Twinkies cereal. This icon was often featured in cereal advertisements, where it was said that “G” stood for “goodness.” The letter was depicted as a single thin, light-blue stripe with loops and curves. It was between the black words “General” and “Mills” in the same thin handwriting.
1963 – 1969
Edwin Rawlings, president of General Mills, decided to give the company a clean, simple logo similar to the “Big G” on a cereal box. To do this, he turned to Lippincott & Margulies for help. The designers have strengthened the shape of the “G” by evenly thickening the blue line, rounding the curves, and shortening certain parts. The font of the black inscription has changed accordingly, and a large red check mark has appeared at the bottom.
1969 – 1971
There was an emblem variant with a dark blue Big G symbol and the bold Roman lettering “GENERAL MILLS.” The brand name was in uppercase sans-serif letters, and the bottom checkmark was missing.
1970 – 1989
It looked like an analog of the version used throughout the 1960s. It featured the words “General Mills” in bold sans-serif, with only the first “G” and “M” in uppercase. The red bottom tick has become wider.
1989 – 2003
The shape of the Big G gradually changed: the logo designers slightly rotated this graphic to the right. The company’s name appeared on the side, divided into two lines. It used bold sans-serif italics. All elements were painted light blue.
1999 – 2001
Big G is straight again. The phrase “General Mills” was moved down one line. The designers gave it back a straight, bold font. The blue has taken on a dull, dark azure hue.
2001 – 2002
A gold wordmark with “General Mills” appeared, featuring wide letter spacing. In this case, a bold-italic font was used. The Big G symbol was missing.
2002 – 2004
There was also a logo featuring the company’s name in thin, even, blue capital letters.
2003 – 2017
The enlarged Big G sign was on the left, and the phrase “General Mills” was on the right. The brand name was split across two lines and set in italics.
2004 – 2017
This logo appeared after the company bought the Pillsbury trademark from Diageo in 2001. The Big G has taken on a navy blue hue, the same as on the former Pillsbury emblem. At the same time, a strip of 24 points appeared below it, taken from the same place. It symbolized development and growth. Below that was the light-blue name “General Mills”.
2017 – today
After the redesign, the company’s logo featured a large, bright red heart that dominated the right side of the Big G. The row of dots disappeared, and the phrase “General Mills” became the same deep blue as the stylized letter. Now, it is on the right side and, in an old-fashioned way, is divided into two lines with a left alignment.
The Big G sign symbolizes durability and strength in its own right. It is also a tribute to many years of tradition and a reference to General Mills. The red heart reflects the company’s passion for food production and the customers’ love for food.
Font and Colors
The font for the General Mills logo is Gotham Bold, created by typographer Tobias Frere-Jones. The current navy blue dates back to when the firm borrowed it from Pillsbury. A bright red tempers the gloomy palette.
