“You will leave us full and satisfied,” the Pizza Hut logo promises. A large selection of hot fresh food cooked in the oven can be seen in the symbols of the image. The emblem guarantees that the establishments taste like home.
Pizza Hut: Brand overview
Founded: | June 15, 1958 |
Founder: | Dan Carney, Frank Carney |
Headquarters: | Plano, Texas, U.S. |
Website: | pizzahut.com |
Meaning and History
In 1958, two brothers-students from the University of Wichita State decided to open an Italian pizzeria in their town. Six months later, they founded a second outlet, and in 1959 they already had a real fast-food chain, which included nine restaurants. In the same year, Dan and Frank switched to a franchise system. The iconic design of the Pizza Hut building appeared later (in 1963). It was designed by George Lindstrom, an architect based in Chicago. The project was completed in 1969.
In 1977, the restaurant chain passed to another owner: it was bought by PepsiCo. Twenty years later, Pizza Hut, along with two other foodservice chains (Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell), left its membership and formed a new structure named Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc. But then, a few years later, she changed it: as a result, in the spring of 2020, Yum! Brands.
All this time, the restaurant has retained its recognizable identity: the logo, sign, and design of the building with a red roof, which eventually became an emblem. So the Chicago architect can be ranked among its authors. In all, there are nine personal characters in the franchise career.
What is Pizza Hut?
Pizza Hut is more than 17,000 restaurants serving customers in almost a hundred countries worldwide. Their main product is pizza baked in a deep pan. The menu also includes numerous desserts, bread sticks, pasta, and other dishes. The Pizza Hut brand was born in 1958, and its funny red hat logo was created in 1974 and refined several times since then. The birthplace of the multinational pizza chain is Wichita, the largest city in Kansas.
1958 – 1970
The debut logo of the pizzeria chain consists of the name, located horizontally and decorated with “jumping” letters. As conceived, they do not mean playfulness but the impatience with which visitors wait for their order. That is, it is a hint of the excellent taste of the dishes offered by Pizza Hut. The letters in words are scarlet, uppercase, in sharp serif type.
1962 – 1970
This was the emblem for the Coke Cola company. It also uses the name of the franchise but in a completely different style. Instead of red-black, instead of “jumping” lines – straight lines instead of sharp signs – symbols with even tops. However, if you look closely, you will notice that not all letters are leveled. For example, the right leg “A” is longer than the others, and the “U” is higher than the rest. Above and below, the phrase is beaten off with thin lines.
1970 – 1974
The redesign brought the perfect blend of the debut and new logos. From one, the developers used the style and geometry of the letters, from the other – restraint and color of the inscription. In addition to monochrome, they also added an updated word placement: now they are arranged in a column, one above the other. This proportionality became cult since it was preserved for almost the remaining time (except a couple of periods). “Jumping” symbols are made by hand.
1974 – 1999
The logo, approved in 1974, was designed by Lippincott in collaboration with Marketing Manager Sam Moyers. It is famous for the legendary red roof that appeared in it for the first time, as on the branded buildings of a restaurant chain. The iconic element remains forever. Under the roof, there is a two-level inscription made in an updated font. It uses wavy lines – lowercase “z” and uppercase “H.” In the first case, they replace the lower part of the letters, in the second – the central bar.
1999 – 2010
In 1999, the company switched to a conceptually different logo – with looser lines, as if drawn with one stroke of the brush. And this applies to both graphics and text. The author of the new identity is Landor Associates. The roof is now positioned diagonally and has black stripes on all sides. The inscription also goes from bottom to top diagonally. The letters look unobtrusive and not as strict as in the previous version, although they have some in common in outlines. In the word “Pizza,” the dot above the “i” is elongated and colored green. The symbols resemble handwritten ones. There is a yellow underline at the bottom.
2010 – 2014
This version is a revised version of the previous emblem. There are no thick black lines around the perimeter of the roof. In addition, the underline has been increased, and a sunlight-like gloss has been added. The designers also straightened the roof horizontally, leaving all other elements in their original places.
2014 (North America)
The basis of this logo is the emblem of 2010. The developers removed the yellow underline at the bottom of the lettering and repainted the green leaf above the “i” in black. In some countries, this logo is still in use today.
2014 – 2019
In 2014, Pizza Hut announced an all-out rebranding to attract more visitors and lift its fallen revenue. She updated everything literally: the signboard, uniforms, menus, symbols. As a result, the emblem got a round shape and looked like a pizza. This is due to the development of eleven new branded pizzas, so the focus was on them. Only red remains from the old logo, as it resembles the iconic shade of the roof and toasted pizza. The names of the net and the roof were placed in the center of the circle with a white dashed outline. Deutsch LA redesigned the logo.
2019 – today
In the summer of 2019, Pizza Hut brought back the old logo and red roof that had been in use from 1974 to 1999. It is now dominated by three wavy lines, a flat roof, and classic lettering from Lippincott.
Font and Colors
Since the 70s of the last century, a brick-red roof has been used in the identity of the catering network. It has a wide brim and a raised middle, visually resembling a hat. This element is the key symbol of the company, which disappeared only once (in 2014) for a radical change of the image, but then came back.
The oblique typeface, used for many years in the emblem, is individual and looks like strokes made with a wire brush. The current font is called Hot Pizza. Its creator is designer Dennis Ludlow. He proposed a revised serif print.
The signature palette of the pizzeria chain consists of red, which is constantly combined with white. At different times, it was complemented by black, yellow, and green.
Pizza Hut color codes
Red | Hex color: | #fe0000 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 254 0 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 100 100 0 | |
Pantone: | PMS 1655 C |
Raisin Black | Hex color: | #241f20 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 36 31 32 | |
CMYK: | 0 14 11 86 | |
Pantone: | PMS Neutral Black C |
What does the logo symbolize Pizza Hut Logo?
In the Pizza Hut logo, developed in 2014, the designers played with tomato sauce, which is poured in a spiral onto a thin pizza crust. After a redesign in 2019, the American restaurant chain returned to its old sign - a large roof. She personifies the brand’s name, and her red color symbolizes tomatoes. Moreover, the roof on the emblem looks like a hat with protruding edges, which is why it is associated with comfort and safety.
Who invented the Pizza Hut logo?
Artist and architect Richard D. Burke designed the first Pizza Hut building with a large red hat-shaped roof. He wanted the design to resemble a hut as opposed to futurism. That is, the roof itself was invented by Burke in 1969, but the logo of the pizza chain was created by other people. In 1974, in collaboration with Sam Moyers (marketing manager), Lippincott introduced their version of the red hat emblem. In 1999, it was redesigned by the consulting firm Landor Associates.
Why is the i green in Pizza Hut?
The dot above the ‘I’ on the Pizza Hut logo from 1999-2014. was green because the branding consulting firm Landor Associates made it that way. According to some assumptions, it symbolizes the basil leaf - an indispensable component of the Margherita pizza topping. This dish is famous for its colors matching the Italian tricolor. That is, the emblem of a restaurant chain can also contain such a reference to a country where pizza is the basis of traditional cuisine.
What is the slogan of Pizza Hut?
The restaurant chain Pizza Hut uses a slogan that plays on its name: ‘No one outpizzas the hut.’ But the old mottos were more concise: ‘Now You’re Eating!’ and ‘Makin’ It Great.’ The latter has appeared in advertisements from the 1980s until 1995, and his ‘Make it great’ version from 2012 to 2016. There was also the slogan ‘Makin’ it great again and again.’ Until the 1980s, the most popular slogan was ‘Gather Round The Good Stuff.’ None of them were included in the logo.
What is the Pizza Hut logo mean?
At first glance, it looks like the Pizza Hut logo is a red hat, but it’s not. In fact, the designers have depicted the colorful roof of the old restaurants to pay homage to their iconic architecture. The red color may represent the tomato sauce that is used to make the pizza. It is also a symbol of passion and freshness. The wavy decorative lines around the letters ‘z’ and ‘H’ are the epitome of Italian elegance because pizza is a traditional Italian dish.
Where did the Pizza Hut logo come from?
The Pizza Hut logo has been around for decades - designers change it up from time to time, adding or removing details. The inspiration for the original red ‘hat’ was the roof of a restaurant built in 1969 by Richard D. Burke. This element is the most recognizable part of the Pizza Hut identity. It persisted even in 2014 when the emblem was played with tomato sauce pouring in a spiral onto a stretched pizza dough.
Who was the designer of the Pizza Hut logo?
The iconic red roof is fully incorporated into the logo, which was designed by New York-based Lippincott and endorsed by Sam Moyers, Pizza Hut’s marketing director. Thanks to their close cooperation in 1974, an emblem appeared with a stylized black inscription under the ‘hat.’ It was used until 1999 and returned 20 years later when the restaurant chain revived it in 2019 to show its connection to the past and pay tribute to the original architecture.
Why did Pizza Hut go back to their old logo?
In 2019, the Pizza Hut restaurant chain brought back its logo, designed in 1974 by Lippincott and Sam Moyers, because it considered it the most successful. She wanted to replicate the success of the old identity while at the same time establishing herself as a ‘pioneer’ in the American pizza market. With the retro badge, the company is trying to remind customers that Pizza Hut is one of the oldest pizza brands in the United States.