Adweek - 26.08.2019

An assessment of Subway’s existing

visual identity found that it lacked

cohesion, which made many of the

brand’s elements feel disparate.

Turner Duckworth sought to change

this by taking Subway back to its

roots and streamlining its overall

look. This involved playing up its

iconic green and yellow coloring as

well as its signature arrows.

“If you close your eyes, those are

the things you think of when you think

of Subway,” Baron said, explaining

that the firm wanted to “unlock the

potential” of these symbols instead of

concocting something brand new.

Armin Vit, co-founder of graphic

design firm UnderConsideration

(which did not work on the Subway

rebrand), said the new logo was

“executed within the trends and

normalcy of today’s logos” that

typically are marked by their

straightforwardness and sans-serif

typefaces.

The redesign also involved using

the chain’s well-known arrows to

drive home the fact that Subway has

long prided itself on customization,

a brand attribute that Baron said the

company “invented” and wanted to

get more credit for. Instead of just

appearing on the logo, the arrows now

literally pointed to different ways that

customers can order their subs.

Marie Han Silloway, Subway’s vp of

global brand management and acting

creative advertising leader in the U.S.,

said the chain’s new visual identity

was inspired by what they serve. “The

bright, bold colors are representative

of the food served in our restaurants—

from green inspired by peppers, to

the red of tomatoes—as well as fresh

veggie displays in the remodeled

locations,” she said.

While Baron said he can’t speak from a

business perspective, he believes that

the new visual identity, which began

its global rollout in 2017, has been

successful so far.

“One of the things that gets a lot

of feedback, in particular, is the cup,”

he said. “Just by virtue of the way it’s

designed, you can see it a mile away.

It’s become this iconic piece of design.”

A few years back, Baron said he

and the team had the opportunity to

show off the redesign to thousands of

franchisees at a company event, where

it got a “surprisingly positive response”

from those in attendance.

From a business perspective, it

appears as though the new look is

working. According to QSR magazine,

remodeled Subway stores experienced

an 11% increase in gross profit, while

traffic lifted more than 8%, when

compared to ones that hadn’t updated

yet, a sampling found.

However, the redesign is more

divisive within the design community.

Vit called the new logo “stiff and

clunky,” adding that it’s “simply another

rendition of what the Subway logo has

always been,” with a 2019 twist. “The

new logo is fine, but it’s not timeless,”

Vit said. “It will feel dated in five to 10

years because it’s operating within

today’s standards.”

4 AUGUST 26, 2019 |^ ADWEEK

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Tre n d ng

THIS WEEK’S INSIGHTS

To say that Subway’s marketing
department has been a hot mess in
recent years is an understatement.

Since 2015, the same year the
chain’s former spokesperson Jared
Fogle landed himself in prison for
child pornography and sex with
minors, Subway has dealt with
a revolving door of both creative
agencies and marketers. Like many
established brands, the 54-year-
old sub purveyor is trying to find
relevance in the face of changing
consumer tastes.

Despite the struggles, one
bright spot for Subway came two
years ago in the form of a massive,
much-needed overhaul of its visual
identity. After years of disjointed
and outdated imagery, Subway
made the choice to invest in its
brand via updated packaging, in-
store imagery and a revamped logo.

The revamp was led by Publicis design

firm Turner Duckworth, which was

tapped by former chief marketing

officer Joe Tripodi, who retired from

Subway last year. Tripodi had worked

with Turner Duckworth on Coca-

Cola’s rebrand about a decade ago

while serving as the drink giant’s CMO.

“[Tripodi] realized that the brand

was in a situation where it desperately

needed a design overhaul,” said Andy

Baron, creative director at Turner

Duckworth.

First, Subway wanted Turner

Duckworth to focus on creating an in-

store experience that would resonate

with consumers. Second, Subway

was struggling to carve out a niche.

The company sits between fast-food

giants and healthier, more expensive

options, so part of the brief involved

differentiating the brand to prevent it

from languishing in the murky middle.

HOW TURNER DUCKWORTH ACCENTUATED ITS

STRONGEST ELEMENTS. BY MINDA SMILEY

DESIGN

Subway’s

Brand Refresh

TURNER DUCKWORTH

CHALLENGE

EXECUTION

RESULTS

USE YOUR BRAND’S

IDENTITY TO HELP

TELL ITS STORY

There are often opportunities

to push a brand’s visual identity

further. Subway recently used

food photography (specifically

a slice of cheese, olive and

onion) to form a record player,

a subtle nod to its music

festival partnerships.

DON’T REINVENT

THE WHEEL

While Subway’s new logo has

a modern spin, it still retains

much of its old look and feel.

Baron said erasing these “brand

equities” can sometimes do

more harm than good, which is

why Turner Duckworth chose to

“dust off” Subway’s logo rather

than drastically alter it.

THINK ABOUT

WHERE PEOPLE SEE

YOUR BRAND

Even as recently as five years

ago, marketers weren’t thinking

much about how their brands

expressed themselves in

environments like apps.

INSIGHTS

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BEFORE