Arby's New Logo

[Super S]

Interesting that the logo has been changed again. I have noticed that a lot of the freeway "food next right" signs in my area have been changed to the lower case logo just recently. Nothing on buildings that I know of though.

[Alpha8472]

The Arby's website still has the lowercase Arby's logo. I don't think they changed the logo at all. The company spent a ton of money to come up with a new logo and even spent money to put up the new sign on some restaurants. They are not changing the logo again.

[Super S]

The latest Arby's commercials are showing the new logo, with the lower case one nowhere to be found. And just because signs cost money, it doesn't always mean they won't change it after installing it in only a few locations. Look at JCPenney over the last few years. After two logo changes they went back to their old one.

[kr.abs.swy]

Alpha, how are you so sure that "They are not changing the logo again"? Your statement is 100% definitive -- do you have some inside knowledge that the rest of us don't? I've seen the same ads on TV that others have seen, with a third logo, which suggests to me that Arby's is at least considering using a new logo (although the fact that the lower-case logo remains in use on the Web site definitely muddies the waters).

[Alpha8472]

I stand corrected. Actually, it was feedback from loyal Arby's fans that made corporate alter the font and get rid of the all lowercase name. The logo has been modified, but franchise owners are not being ordered by corporate to replace the new lowercase signs.

I think that this compromise on the logo is a decent middle ground. The old logo was classic. The all lowercase version was too extreme and tried to be too trendy. Signage replacement requirements upsets fans of the old logo and drives up costs for franchise owners. Arby's franchises are in tough times these days as sales are dismal.

In 2010, Arby's switched to advertising agency BBDO. Sales increased for several months while BBDO was the agency. Then CMO Russ Klein booted BBDO and went with CP&B. CP&B brought on the lowercase logo and the tagline "Slicing up freshness" to compete with Subway's fresh sandwiches. BBDO was responsible for the tagline "Good mood food." Franchisees were upset because of the sudden changes. Sales were up with "Good mood food." CP&B isn't doing much for sales.

New commercial with logo:

[storewanderer]

They have launched packaged versions of some of their sauces to be sold in supermarkets and those have the "middle" logo.

They seem really confused... but I think the store closures have stopped somewhat, so maybe the situation at Arbys is becoming stable.

[Super S]

Arbys appears to be in the middle of an identity crisis. Today I ate lunch there, and noticed all three versions of the logo on employee shirts. Each had a different color and a different logo. When I see things like sauce packets etc. sporting one of the older logos though, it makes me question the freshness of such items.

[BillyGr]

When I see things like sauce packets etc. sporting one of the older logos though, it makes me question the freshness of such items.

Might be that, or maybe somebody just had a zillion packets printed up (not filled, just the printing) shortly before the logo change and didn't want to waste them.

[Super S]

When I see things like sauce packets etc. sporting one of the older logos though, it makes me question the freshness of such items.

Might be that, or maybe somebody just had a zillion packets printed up (not filled, just the printing) shortly before the logo change and didn't want to waste them.

That is certainly possible, but when a restaurant goes with a slogan of "slicing up freshness" it might not be a good idea to keep changing the logo and confusing people.

On a related subject, I have now seen two Wendy's locations in the Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA area that have their new logo in place on the buildings. Wendy's seems to be doing a better job of eliminating their old logo.

[Brian Lutz]

I have not seen any Wendy's restaurants change their signage here yet. In fact, the only one I've seen new signage on so far was in Atlanta (near Arby's corporate HQ) last year.