The Lay’s brand is known for delicious potato chips and snacking globally. It has a rich legacy of more than nine decades and has become a household name across the world. It is important to know that its logo has been an integral part of its enduring popularity and recognition. In fact, the logo has undergone several changes over the years in keeping with an ever-changing market. The article explores the history and evolution of the logo over the years.
The Genesis of the Lay’s Logo (1932 – 1965)
The journey of Lay’s began in 1932, when salesman Herman Lay’s founded the company. He created the first logo by writing his last name in a vintage Western font with a stylised design. The emblem showed cookware, such as a kettle, a vat, a pot, or a food bowl. The bottom of the cookware showed wavy lines, which meant a hot cooking surface. The same line was present on the right side of the letter “L,” while the stem of the lowercase letter “y” protruded downwards in red.
The logo showed the humble beginnings of the Chips brand, which incidentally started as a side business for Mr. Lay’s. Later, in 1965, Mr. Herman Lay’s Frito Company merged with PepsiCo, thus giving rise to a new era in Lay’s brand journey.
(1965 – 1986)
In 1965, the logo was updated to a more modern design while retaining the red background and white lettering. The shape became a stricter rectangle with rounded corners, and the font was changed to an ExtraBold sans serif style. Notably, some letters (L, y, and the apostrophe) extended beyond the rectangle, which introduced a dynamic element to the logo.
(1981 – 1984)
The logo of 1981 was a refinement of the previous logo and had the contours of the letters of the brand name in the red background extended for certain elements (L, y, and the apostrophe). Besides, even the lower horizontal bar of the letter “L” was extended below the level of the letters “a” and “s.”
(1986 – 1997)
The logo underwent another redesign in 1986, where it was italicised for a more dynamic appearance. The rectangular background was removed, and in its place appeared the letters with their contours running along the entire wordmark. These allowed the letters to stand out more prominently. This version maintained the red and white colour scheme but introduced thicker lines for a bolder look.
(1997 – 2003)
In 1997, a significant change occurred with the introduction of yellow into the logo. A yellow circle resembling a sun was added behind the wordmark, which was now placed on a red ribbon. Besides, the white letters had blue shadows that showed the wordmark in a three-dimensional form. This version aimed to evoke feelings of warmth and energy while enhancing brand recognition.
(2003 – 2007)
The logo was slightly modified at the end of 2003 to incorporate deeper three-dimensional effects. The ribbon became more pronounced with dark red gradients, and the edges of the yellow circle were stylised with flame-like swirls. This iteration emphasised movement and dynamism. Besides, the shadows of the letters were changed to burgundy from blue.
(2007 – 2019)
In 2007, Lay’s introduced a new three-dimensional logo featuring a golden yellow ball that represented both chips and sun imagery. The design maintained the bold wordmark while simplifying some elements for clarity. This logo remained in use until another redesign in 2019.
(2019 – Present)
The latest redesign in 2019 reverted to a flatter design while preserving key elements from previous logos. The intense yellow and red colours returned with white lettering on a banner surrounding the yellow circle. This version aimed for a more modern aesthetic while still evoking nostalgia for earlier designs.
The Elements of the Lay’s Logo
Font
The Lay’s logo features the brand name in white. The custom typeface of the brand name boasts a sleek and sophisticated appearance by balancing elegant curves with bold and confident strokes. The typeface used in the logo reminds one of fonts like Makozin Heavy Italic and Bluestar Medium Italic. However, it holds its own with unique adjustments.
Colour
The logo’s vibrant colour scheme, comprising a sunny yellow paired with a bold red, exudes energy, power, and passion. This colour scheme is further tied to the clean white to symbolise professionalism and reliability. This combined palette of sunny yellow, old red, and clean white effectively communicates Lay’s commitment to both the quality and taste of its products.
The History of Lay’s
In 1909, a young North Carolinian named Herman Lay’s embarked on a journey that would revolutionise the world of snacking. After working at a food company, he travelled the world as a salesman, selling potato chips from his car. Upon realising the need for portability, he made the innovation of sealing chips in wax paper. This created the iconic Lay’s that we know today.
Mr. Herman Lay’s entrepreneurial spirit didn’t stop here. He acquired a food company and renamed it “H.W. Lay’s Distributing Co.” With this company, he offered his chips for a mere 10 cents a bag. But the product that changed the game for his company was the introduction of crinkle-cut chips. It was a unique design that not only minimised breakage but won hearts (and stomachs) across the nation. Thereafter, in a pioneering move, Lay’s also became the first snack food company to use television advertising in 1944. This further cemented its brand recognition.
Lay didn’t stop at that and continued with experimentation. For instance, he soon started adding beloved flavours like salt and vinegar. This innovation proved to be a game changer and propelled the company ahead of its competitors. However, Lay recognised the strength of collaboration. So, instead of engaging in a fierce battle, it worked towards a historic merger with his biggest competitor, the Frito Company.
In 1965, he envisioned a powerful partnership with PepsiCo, a beverage giant established in 1868 with popular drinks like Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, and 7UP. This strategic merger not only consolidated market dominance but also gave Frito-Lay’s a global platform, strengthening its position as a dominant snacking empire.
Today, Lay’s is sold in over 200 countries, making it the world’s bestselling snack brand. Despite shifting consumer preferences towards natural ingredients and healthier options, Lay’s continues to innovate, ensuring it remains synonymous with moments of joy and indulgence.
Interesting Facts About Lay’s
- Lay’s is owned by Pepsi and is a $13 billion dollar company that produces other chip brands such as Doritos, Smartfood, Funyuns, Sun Chips, Cheetos, Tostitos, Ruffles, and others.
- The founder of Lay’s Herman Lay founded the company in 1932 in Ohio during the Great Depression. Luckily for him, the recipe of the chips was liked by people, and in a short period of six years, he bought the Barrett Food Company in Atlanta.
- Both Lay’s and Fritos became partners in 1945, following which Fritos would sell Lay’s in the Southwest, while Lay’s would sell Fritos in the Southeast.
- The partnership was a resounding success, which prompted both Lay’s and Fritos to merge in 1961. This resulted in Frito-Lay Inc. having annual sales of more than $127 million.
- Lay’s uses potatoes to make chips that are sourced from 25 different states. Among these states, Wisconsin and Michigan are the largest suppliers.
- The potatoes used to make chips for Lay’s have a proprietary strain.
- Lay’s chips are said to be high in sodium and fat. For instance, a bag of 8 ounces of chips has 80 grams of fat and 12 grams of saturated fat. Similarly, an 8-ounce bag of Lay’s chips contains 1,360 mg of sodium.
- Lay’s even sold Cappuccino-flavoured chips. It was produced for a limited period and was part of a contest where fans could submit their ideas for flavour and vote for the best flavour. And since Cappuccino won, the company had to produce it.
- According to Men’s Health, eating a Lay’s potato chip can lead one to feel positivity and enjoyment, which makes one yearn for more.
- When television was still in its infancy, Lay’s potato chips used to air commercials. In fact, the commercials had Bert Lahr, better known as the Cowardly Lion, singing paeans to the brand.
- According to an article in National Geographic, the Lay’s plant in Perry, GA, uses about 1 million pounds of potatoes, which turns out to be an average of 175,000 chip boxes every day.
- In the beginning, Lay’s had only two flavours: classic salted and barbecue. It was only in the late seventies that other flavours like sour cream and onion chips were introduced. Today, there are close to fifty flavours, which include Dill Pickle, Flamin’ Hot, Pico de Gallo, and Honey BBQ.
- Lay’s is also known by different aliases in different countries. For instance, it is known as Walkers in the UK, Sabritas in Mexico, Smith’s in Australia, and Chipsy in Egypt. In fact, there are nearly eighty countries where Lay’s is known by a different name.
- In 2016, Lay’s even launched a campaign called “Passport to Flavour,” which featured flavours inspired by famed dishes from around the world. These include Indian tikka masala, Chinese Szechuan chicken, and Brazilian picanha. Each such chip packet had a code with “miles,” which, when added up, could get the owner of the packet prizes.
- The Lay’s chips are cooked in sunflower, corn, and canola oil, which are not unhealthy oils. Besides, in 2003, Lay’s had removed trans fats from its chips.
Finally
The Lay’s logo and its various iterations reflect broader trends in branding and marketing within the snack food industry. Each redesign has been carefully crafted to resonate with consumers while maintaining core elements that honour the brand’s heritage. With Lay’s continuing to innovate and adapt to market demands, its logo is likely to evolve further while retaining its recognisable identity as one of the world’s leading snack brands.