Jimmy John’s Logo

Jimmy John’s Logo PNG

Although the Jimmy John’s logo has changed several times, it has remained true to itself: in all its versions, you can observe two large “JJ”s. These are the initials of the creator of the fast-food chain with sandwiches on the menu – Jimmy John Liautaud. The visual identity has only benefited from the monogram, as it makes the restaurants stand out among competitors.

Meaning and History

The existence of this brand began with a dilemma posed by After Liautaud to his son. He told him that after finishing school, he had two choices: either to join the military or start his own business. The young man chose the latter and did not regret it: the chain he created is now so popular that 98% of it consists of franchise establishments. Initially, Jimmy John Liautaud wanted to deal with hot dogs, but due to high expenses for ingredients, he realized that the $25,000 borrowed from his father would not cover the costs. So, in the end, he opened a sandwich kiosk.

The young man hardly thought about the establishment’s name: Jimmy John chose his own name. It has remained the basis for the company’s visual identity forever. The fact is that designers suggested a sign made of a combination of “J” and “J.” The identical letters look original on the logo and brightly represent the brand on all levels – up to digital media. In the history of this chain, there are four emblems in total.

What is Jimmy John’s?

Jimmy John’s is a fast-food sandwich restaurant from the United States that has grown into a large-scale franchise. Currently, its network includes over 2,700 establishments. The brand’s inception dates back to 1983. The creator is Jimmy John Liautaud. The current owner is Inspire Brands through the Roark Capital Group, purchased in 2019. The company’s headquarters is located in Champaign, Illinois.

1983 – 2000

The earliest version of the logo was used for a long time – from the moment of its inception until the beginning of the millennium. It was monochromatic and contained the full name of the founder. The letters were bold, uneven, with serifs, and were arranged in an arch over a circular emblem with information about the sandwich seller. The year the company was founded was indicated in small characters next to it. All inscriptions, both inside and outside the circle, were made in different fonts. The eclectic mix of styles did not mar the emblem, but on the contrary, it made it eye-catching and interesting, despite the black-and-white palette.

2000 – 2015

In 2000, the logo became clean as designers removed all the visual clutter from it. They made the curved “Jimmy John’s” line neat, adjusting the letters to one size. The marketing information was placed at the bottom in two rows, also bent in an arc. In contrast to the upper inscription, the font in these rows was very small. The year of the company’s founding was written in thin italics and was located to the right and left of the two red “JJ” with a black border.

2015 – 2021

The emblem of that time was dominated by a strict style. Designers regrouped all elements and placed them almost mirror-like to each other. The full name of the franchise reached the middle of the circle and almost touched the lower text. They were separated by the year the brand was founded: “Since” was on one side, and “1983” on the other. The central place was occupied by the double “JJ.” Although they remained red, the black outline was replaced with white. The shade of the block glyphs was also adjusted, making them raspberry-colored. The middle of the rondel was surrounded by a narrow white ring, which alternated with a wide black one.

2021 – today

The modern Jimmy John’s logo echoes its predecessor only in shape: it is also round. Otherwise, significant differences appeared. For example, designers changed the font for “JJ.” They enlarged the lower part of the letters and cut off half of the upper bars. Developers similarly treated the capital “J” in the company name. Only one word was left at the bottom, which the typographers stretched and centered. Instead of the year of foundation, they placed two miniature stars, coloring them the same as the block glyphs. The background still consists of a black disc with a white border.

The logo is built on the personal data of the company’s founder. Initially, his full name served as the base, and then it was shortened to initials, which are still used in parallel. The evolution of the visual symbol progressed from a simple form to a complex one, resulting in the classic rondel with an accentuated center and edged with stripes of varying width.

Font and Colors

Two types of fonts were chosen for the Jimmy John’s emblem: the name is executed in Rockwell Bold, and the word “Sandwich” is written in Rockwell. The developer of the typeface family is Frank Hinman Pierpont. To maintain the attention of potential sandwich buyers, designers used standard colors: black #000000, white #FFFFFF, and red #EA0029. They symbolize impeccability, goodness, and energy.

Jimmy John’s color codes