The Tic Tac logo symbolizes safety, freshness, and naturalness – the main characteristics of the brand’s products. And it is also associated with mint, which is the most popular flavor of Italian mini-dragees. The emblem color symbolizes nature and a healthy lifestyle because Tic Tac candies can serve as an alternative to sweets with high sugar content.
Tic Tac: Brand overview
Founded: | 1969 |
Founder: | Ferrero |
Headquarters: |
Italy |
Website: | ferrero.it |
Tic Tac – refreshing Italian mini-dragees with flavors of mint, orange, lime, banana, strawberry, etc. The brand belongs to Ferrero SpA Corporation. It is sold in 100 countries. The Tic Tac logo adorns packs in 4 sizes.
Lollipops were developed by a Ferrero businessman in 1968, and he began to produce them in his father’s factory. The impetus was the Summer of Love in 1967. The constant close quarters of people in hippie communes demanded freshness—especially breath.
Meaning and History
Originally the products were called Refreshing Mints. The logo of that period is not known. The first logo appeared simultaneously with the original name of Tic Tac. And after that, it was changed five times more and more, getting closer and closer to the maximum visual expression of freshness and naturalness.
What is Tic Tac?
Mints were invented in Italy and sold in a clear plastic box that resembles a lighter. Each mini candy has 2 kcal. Ferrero SpA manufactures and sells them.
1969
The first visual sign was a green square in an orange frame. Inside is the name in white letters with a black border.
Tic Tac translates as “tic-tac-toe,” a game where you must get ahead of your opponent to place your pieces correctly. That’s how quickly mini-candy cope with the elimination of bad breath. Another word combination is reminiscent of the ticking of a clock. It corresponds to one second. And secondary indicates the speed of the candy. Subsequently, the founders also spoke of the similarity of the name with the sound of opening the box lid: Tic – opened, Tac – closed. Everything is simple and fast.
The inscription is in lowercase letters, hinting at the small size of the candy. The black border is a prototype of the outer colored shell, corresponding to the candy flavoring. It’s dense, and there’s an explosion of freshness inside.
The C’s on the ends of the words turned in different directions are a real eye-catcher. They are reminiscent of jellybeans rolling around in a package. The emphasis on the two letters is not accidental. For freshness, it is recommended to use two jellybeans at once.
The green background color is a hint of using mint. And the orange trim is the image of the box. The whole logo looks like a package with lollipop letters inside.
1969 – 1970
Lollipops were perfect for freshening your breath before a kiss. That’s why the next logo shape changed from square to heart-like. It was another allusion to the Summer of Love.
The combination of the blue-gray background, white trim, and white lettering created a sense of icy cold. And indicated menthol cooling.
Also, the shape of the logo remotely resembled a tooth. Dragees aren’t bad for teeth, like refreshing gum. Ascorbic acid, tartaric acid, and menthol disinfect the mouth and are antioxidants for teeth.
1970 – 1980
The logo of this period returns to a square shape and mint background. Inside is a very large Tic Tac inscription in white letters. But in this emblem, the background trim and lettering also disappear. The freshness of the lollipop has no limits anymore.
The size of the letters shows how many lollipops are in one package and how densely they are placed. Each letter resembles a single candy.
1980 – 1998
The lollipops have become widespread and are sold on five continents.
To make it clear to people speaking different languages what Tic Tac is, an original solution for the logo’s background was invented in the 80s. It was made in the form of a mint leaf. This conveyed the freshness of the mint, and the white border demonstrated the coolness that occurs in the mouth when the lollipop is consumed.
1998 – 2006
The emblem becomes a darker color and gains volume. The leaf and letters appear convex, and you want to touch them with your hands. The emblem’s volume and rounded, flowing forms were a hint of a streamlined oval dragee. A rich color indicates a bright deep taste. The freshness lasts for 2 hours.
2006 – 2014
These changes in the visual sign were a step towards naturalness. The mint leaf is colored with a gradient. The veins are marked on it. The leaf plate takes on a curve, and the typeface tilts to the right.
The gradient from light green to almost black and the italicized lettering indicate that the brand is steadily growing. It has practically no competitors. However, no global changes are expected yet.
Keeping the leaf in the composition indicates that the mint flavor is still the most popular flavor of dragee.
After 2006, the owner did not do much to promote the brand. Old age (78) and the death of his eldest son (2011), who was to succeed him, pushed things aside. Since 2015, the youngest son, Giovanni Ferrero, has owned the brand.
2012 – today
In 2012, the details of the emblem were changed, but its structure was retained. The green color became lighter to show the freshness and naturalness of the product. The designers added blurry white highlights at the top for the same purpose. The letters in the lettering were slightly enlarged and rounded. This is due to the desire to create a softer and friendlier brand image. And also, thanks to the new font, the name Tic Tac stands out better against the background of the sheet. The gray stripe in the lower corner has acquired a silver gradient. On the one hand, the transition of shades makes the logo look voluminous and deep. On the other hand, its use is consistent with modern design trends.
2022 – today
After the redesign, the green leaf has lost its white glare, but a gradient has been added, which gives the image freshness and depth. This makes the emblem look more realistic, in line with the brand’s concept of naturalness. A thin vein in the middle of the leaf runs, increasing the detail.
The silver line in the bottom corner was removed. Instead, there is a long semi-transparent gray stripe along the bottom edge of the emblem. It is separated from the sheet by a thin white line, which gives a feeling of lightness and airiness. Although the typeface has not changed, the letters seem larger. This draws attention to the name Tic Tac.
Font and Colors
The main colors present on almost all logos are green and white.
- Green is the color of greenery, mint. It is a shade of health and pleasant coolness. Drage takes care of a healthy breath.
- White is the color of the brand’s main lollipops and tooth enamel. The shade echoes snow and ice. It evokes the association with cold and freshness.
PMN Caecilia Sans Head Black Oblique font. The dot above the letter i is shaped like a jellybean.
Tic Tac color codes
Myrtle Green | Hex color: | #014819 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 1 72 25 | |
CMYK: | 99 0 65 72 | |
Pantone: | PMS 349 C |
Islamic Green | Hex color: | #479c10 |
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RGB: | 71 156 16 | |
CMYK: | 54 0 90 39 | |
Pantone: | PMS 361 C |