The famous subway logo, which has been marketed to the public, was adopted by Subway. The Subway was established in 1965 in Connecticut, United States. It is also one of the world’s biggest fast-food chains (restaurants).
According to research, the number of locations opened by the subway is almost thirty-seven in more than a hundred countries (worldwide).
This well-known fast-food restaurant (the subway) aims to provide and deliver fresh, fast, and healthy food to its customers. There are so many meanings to the subway logo, right from its original name ‘’Pete’s SUPER SUBMARINES’’, down to the arrows placed on the letters ‘’S’’ and ‘’Y’’, which also include the various colors that have been used.
The Subway Logo
The Subway logo has undergone specific changes over the years since its establishment. Still, it has retained a distinctive feature present since its existence. This feature is the arrows that appear on the letters S and Y.
There is certainly no doubt that the subway logo has consistently changed over time. However, the arrows that appear on the letters S and Y have been a signature design, which means it has been a constant.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Subway Logo?
What does the subway logo mean? This is a question that is asked frequently by many individuals. Well, for you to grasp the true meaning of the subway logo, you will first of all need to understand the word ‘’logo’’.
A logo can be defined as a sign or symbol usually adopted by various businesses, brands, companies, and institutions to gain specific recognition, amongst others.
The primary purpose why various businesses, brands, and industrial organizations have their signs and symbols (logos) is to send across messages, ideas, thoughts, and specific concepts. A logo is simply a way of sending out messages, reviews, and pictures without verbal communication.
Undoubtedly, so many fast-food chains (restaurants) and other brands/companies put a lot of effort into designing their various logos. This ensures that their customers and the public understand the ideas, thoughts, and messages they are trying to send.
As we all know, the subway logo has a sharp green and yellow color. These two colors look good together and also make a great combination. Since the aim of subway is a healthy diet, they decided to design their logo with this idea and message.
The green color on the subway logo illustrates a healthy diet, while the yellow represents the sun. These two colors generally represent healthy eating and motion. On the other hand, the two arrows represent movement. This means the speed at which their customers enter and leave their restaurant. They also try to illustrate their customers as active individuals who choose subway over other fast-food chains.
The Old Subway Logo
It is pretty apparent that the subway logo has experienced consistent changes over the years. The location of the first subway was in Bridgeport, Connecticut, of the United States, which was established in the year 1965.
According to research, this subway was established through a partnership by ‘’Fred DeLuca’’ and ‘’Dr. Peter Buck’’. The idea of the subway came from Dr. Peter Buck, who suggested Fred DeLuca concerning opening a submarine sandwich shop. It was later brought to light that these two men were family friends, and this conversation was held at their family’s barbeque.
Dr. Peter Buck lent Fred DeLuca a thousand dollars (currently equivalent to eight thousand dollars) to start up ‘’Pete’s Super Submarines’’. During this period, Fred DeLuca was a seventeen-year-old high school graduate who wanted to attend medical school and was looking for a way to pay for his tuition at the university.
Fred DeLuca was looking for various means for him to be able to back up his medical studies potential. At that time, Fred was already holding a doctorate in physics.
Having seen the tremendous success of the sandwich shop in his hometown, Dr. Peter Buck had come up with the idea of Fred DeLuca opening a submarine sandwich shop. After Peter had lent Fred a thousand dollars, Pete’s Super Submarine was successfully established. This was in the year 1965, in August.
Launching their submarine sandwich business was a great success; it was a big hit for a first-time company. Research shows they sold over three hundred sandwiches on their first sales.
The Establishment of the Subways’ Second Shop
After the successful partnership between Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck and establishing their submarine sandwich shop (Pete’s Super Submarine), this duo successfully opened their second submarine sandwich shop after a year.
At this point in their business, they both realized that the key success of their business would be visibility. This means they wanted to be seen and heard more. This particular motive led to the establishment of their third shop.
The establishment of their third shop was also quite a success. With the aim and motive of visibility, the location of their third shop was prominent, and to date offers their goods and services.
During this period, the subway logo experienced one of its first changes. The submarine sandwich shop’s name was shortened to ‘’Pete’s Subway’’, and the symbol with which the public is familiar was initiated.
However, in 1968, this famous sandwich shop experienced another change. This change was made to the shop’s name. Pete’s was dropped, and the company’s name automatically became Subway, which the public is familiar with.
The next step the sandwich shop took in its business plan was 1974. They added franchising to their business plans, and the first subway franchise was established in 1974 in Connecticut in the United States.
The first Subway logo was used (which experienced some changes) until 2002. The logo, which most people are familiar with, was initiated during this period. This particular logo was used from the year of 2002-2016.
The New Subway Logo
The new subway logo is the logo the public is currently familiar with. There are a lot of ways in which various businesses, companies, and other industrial organizations, including higher institutions, choose to send out ideas, thoughts, and messages. Of course, all these have been made possible through their several types of logos.
Subway has undergone specific changes over the years, especially in its logo and how it wants to be perceived by the public. Whatever strategy they have used over the years has been excellent because they have made a statement through their logos.
Their primary purpose and aim were to design a logo that illustrates a healthy diet. This shows that they have a healthy fast-food chain and that their customers’ health is being considered. It was also a way of illustrating that the available food is always fresh.
The current subway logo has two primary colors, yellow and green (without the dark border), with the two arrows have been a constant on the letters S and Y.
According to research, the new subway logo illustrates a reflection of fresh ingredients and vegetables, which is a colorful array. This is currently the first time that the popular fast-food chain ‘’Subway’’ has made a change for over ten years, and since the company’s 50-year history, it is the sixth time that it has made a change in its logo.
While designing the subway’s new logo, they also tried to remain faithful to the company’s roots. They used a vibrant color palette (used in the 60s during their establishment). This new subway logo has helped the company send customers accurate ideas, thoughts, and messages.
Why Did Subway Change Its Logo?
Before the newly introduced logo, the last change to the subway logo was in 2001. Changing a brand’s identity and bringing in something new is all part of the marketing strategy used by most brands, companies, and other organizations. When a change is made primarily in a brand’s identity, it automatically creates a kind of spark in the minds of its customers. In the previous subway logo design, the patrons used black font.
However, in the new subway logo, the color green and yellow were still applied, but only more stylishly and perfectly. The fast-food restaurant has kept its constant arrows on the letters S and Y at the beginning and end. In the new subway logo, the company came up with a new icon, the letter S, blending the arrows and the two colors.
As the fast-food chain restaurant changed its logo, it also decided to add some new and improved items to its premium menu. This is all a part of their strategy, which involves changing their brand’s identity.
One of their main motives and aims is to capture the attention of their target audience by changing their appearance and adding some healthy options to the varieties they have on their menu.
They have chosen this particular design is quite confident and clear, and it also has the old subway roots as a way of always remembering where they started. The new subway design speaks for itself and sends the appropriate messages and ideas into the minds of its customers.
Which Is the Correct Subway Logo?
It is no doubt that the subway logo has been changed several times as the years passed by. The first subway logo was made in 1968 and had two arrows, one at the end of the letter S and the other at the right branch of the letter Y. At this time, they only used one theme color, yellow.
The second subway logo was made in 1969. The arrows were still placed at the same spot on the letters S and Y. However, the theme color was changed. This time, they used two colors which were white and yellow. The with color was used on the ‘’SUB’’, while the yellow color was used on the ‘’WAY’’; this was written in a black font.
The fast-food chain restaurant experienced its third change in the year 2002. This time the black font was eliminated, but the two theme colors were still applied, and the arrows were also in the same spot on the letters S and Y. The subway’s logotype typeface was bold, and the letters stuck to each other.
The fourth change in the subway logo went through was in 2015. Again, the arrows, which have always been a constant, remained in the same spot with the same letters (S and Y). This time, the theme color was wholly changed to green. The typeface was still like the previous one, but there was space between the letters this time, and the lines were thinner.
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The Fifth change in the subway logo is the new logo that the public is familiar with. This version is highly modernized and still has the constant arrows on the same spot of the two letters (S and Y), but they are a bit more extensive and sharp this time. The theme color was also changed. The yellow color was added to the initial green color previously used. The yellow color was at the beginning of the ‘’SUB’’ while the green color was placed at the end of ‘’WAY’’.
The new logo speaks for itself and sends its customers the right ideas and messages. The new and improved design of the subway logo is the correct one because it is the one the company currently uses.
What Do the Arrows Represent in the Subway Logo?
The arrows in the subway logo play a vital role in the idea and the message they’re trying to send to their customers. These arrows might have a pretty significant meaning.
The subway logo came into creation in 1968. Although the subway logo has undergone several changes over the years, the arrows at the bottom of the letter S and the right branch of the letter Y have always been a constant.
This means that despite the changes that the subway has experienced over the years, the arrows have always been there (at the same spot, on the letters S and Y).
The representation of these two arrows on the letters (S and Y) is more than just an aesthetic. These two arrows illustrate motion, which means merely movement. It can further be explained as the rate at which subway customers enter and leave their restaurants. The first arrow on the letter ‘ ‘’S’’ represents the speed at which customers come in and the second arrow on the letter ‘’Y’’ means the rate at which the customers leave their restaurant.
This further illustrates the rate at which the fast-food chain (Subway) employees provide high-speed and speedy services to their customers.
The act of the subway using arrows to symbolize their customers coming in and going out is brilliant. Using this strategy, subway has sent their customers the right ideas, thoughts, and messages worldwide.
What is the Subway’s Motto?
The well-known Subway motto or slogan has existed since the establishment of the first logo in 1968. Since its establishment, the primary motive and aim of the subway have always remained the same. The primary purpose and reason are to provide a healthy diet on their menu and for fresh meals.
Even in the colors of the various subway logos that have existed, they have used some of these colors to indicate the freshness of their ingredients. These fresh ingredients are used in the preparation of their sandwiches.
The longtime slogan used by subway over the years is ‘’Eat Fresh’’. This slogan and motto helped subway send the right ideas and messages to their customers.
The subway’s motto ‘’Eat Fresh’’ outrageously speaks for itself. As a result of this, subway ranked as the fastest-growing franchise in the whole world. All these took place in the year 2015.
The Subway Logo History and Evolution
Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck initially formed the subway logo. They are the founders of the well-known submarine sandwich shop (fast-food chain restaurant Subway), which we are all familiar with today. The plan of opening up a submarine sandwich business started as a plan between two family friends.
Fred Deluca was a seventeen-year-old boy trying to find a way to pay for his university medical school. At this time, Fred DeLuca already had a doctorate in physics. This is the main reason why the organization that is a backup for the subway is called ‘’Doctor’s Associates’’ (this organization is not associated with any medical organization)
Dr. Peter Buck, on the other hand, was a family friend of Fred DeLuca. The idea of starting up a submarine sandwich shop was brought to light by Dr. Peter Buck (when he saw the success of a new sandwich shop that had opened in their town). This brilliant idea was brought up in a conversation these two men were having during one of their family’s gatherings (a barbeque).
Since Dr. Peter Buck knew about the issue with Fred DeLuca trying to pay for the tuition of his medical school at the university, he decided to lend Fred a hundred thousand dollars for the start-up of a submarine sandwich shop.
The establishment of their first restaurant happened in the year 1965. Its location was in Connecticut in the United States. The original name of the submarine sandwich shop was ‘’Pete’s Super Submarine’’. When they finally opened their submarine sandwich shop (Pete’s Super Submarine), it was a great success as they sold over three hundred sandwiches. For a first-time business, this was a success worth celebrating.
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A year later, these two family friends (Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck) opened their second restaurant. After this, they realized that the critical success of their business would be visibility, and then they opened a third shop in a different location, where they would be seen.
In 1968, the name of the submarine sandwich shop (Pete’s Super Subway) was shortened to Pete’s Subway before the restaurant experienced another change in its name, which was Subway.
According to research, despite the successful partnership and the excellent establishment of their business, Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck could not open as many sandwich shops as they wanted, no matter how hard they tried. After all their countless efforts to open new branches of their sandwich shops had failed, they decided to rely on the franchise system.
A Franchise system in a business can be defined as a right granted by the government to companies for them to market their goods and services.
After using the franchise system, in 1978, Subway was able to extend its locations to the west coast of the United States.
In 1996, Subway established its first submarine sandwich shop in England.
Today, the famous submarine sandwich shop, which started as a small fast-food chain restaurant, has over thirty thousand locations established worldwide.
The Subway Logo 2022
Since the establishment of the submarine sandwich shop in 1965, the subway has experienced numerous changes. Over the years, the subway’s name, logo, and motto/slogan have undergone several changes.
The last subway was made in 2016. This particular design is quite a modernized version, especially when it is compared with the previous logos they have used over the years.
This particular logo has a theme color combination of two colors (yellow and green). The idea of adding the color yellow was to remember the roots of the submarine sandwich shop and how it started. This is a way of not forgetting the origins of the subway. The second green color represents the freshness of their sandwiches and the ingredients used in their preparation.
By illustrating this in the design, it is pretty apparent that they are trying to send out a message and create the right idea in the mind of their customers. This new logo still has its constant arrows on the same spot of the same letters (S and Y).
Moreover, in this new logo, the arrows were made a bit bigger and sharper, which adds progressiveness to the company’s identity.
The Subway 2022 logo is outrageously brilliant and entirely speaks for itself.
Subway Logo Fonts
The Subway logo fonts have also experienced many changes over the years. Since its establishment in 1965, the fonts used on the submarine sandwich shop were composed of vivid and bright lettering, and the theme colors were blue and red, but the background was white.
The second subway logo font was in 1968, this time, it was composed stylishly, and the theme color was yellow. The arrows on the letters S and Y were curved and also elongated.
The third subway logo font was in 1969, and this time, the fonts they used were thick, and the theme color was changed to white and yellow.
In 2002, the subway logo font was italicized and bold, with the letters sticking together.
The subway logo font experienced another change in 2015. This time, it was the same style as the previous logo, but the letters were not stuck to each other. Also, the theme color was changed.
Finally, the recent subway logo font, which the public is quite familiar with, was in 2016 till today. This current logo is modernized and the fonts used are bold and rounded. The theme color is yellow and green.
What Do the Subway Colors Mean?
The current subway color consists of two color themes, which are yellow and green. The yellow color means the sun. It illustrates brightness and is also a way for the subway to remember its roots (where it started). The green color speaks for itself. The green color represents their sandwiches’ freshness and the ingredients used in their preparation.
The subway logo has gone through its fair experiences of ups and downs, and it is pretty evident that they have also experienced many changes.
However, this has only made them stronger. With time, they expanded and created suitable designs for the logos, which helped them get the right messages to their customers. Having an appropriate logo can positively impact your business/brand. The Subway is a great example.
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