One of the country’s largest companies working in the food sector, Tyson Foods, Inc. is headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, US. It is responsible for multiple instances of environmental damage and is also notorious as the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the global food industry.
In 1935, John W. Tyson established the company. Its original name was Tyson’s Feed & Hatchery. In the ensuing decades, the brand didn’t stick to a single Tyson Foods logo, but there was still some homogeneity in its signs and package.
What is Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. has been known as the second-largest company that specializes in processing and selling chicken, beef, and pork in the world. The list of brands it operates includes Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, and Wright Brand, to name just a few.
In the earlier logos, the word “Tyson’s” was set in large, clean letters providing excellent legibility. The lettering “Feed & Hatchery” was smaller and was set in a slightly different type. Nevertheless, the glyphs were still highly legible.
In one version, these words were placed inside a black banner, and a decorative white string was added in the background. Yet, this wasn’t of course the only version.
From the late 1950s and into the 1960s, the products were sold under the Tyson’s Pride mark. There was more uniformity in the logo design over this period, although you can still notice variations.
What was similar was the way the initials were placed inside circles. The “T” in white was placed inside a bright red circle, while the “P,” also in white, was placed inside a dark blue circle. Additionally, the “P” had a decorative stroke at the top, which made it look unique. Other letters had a regular shape and looked considerably smaller than the initials.
The later version of Tyson’s Pride logo had an elegant lace touch. The letters were italicized and lighter. It’s doubtful, though, that this approach fitted the brand better than the more straightforward previous one.
The “Tyson Foods” brand name and the “Big Red” logo featuring a yellow chick were recognizable, yet short-lived.
In the 1960s, the first version of the oval logo was created by Buddy Wray, who used to be the company’s President and COO. However, it didn’t become the primary logo instantly.
At the center, there was the name of the brand in large and rather plump white letters. The type was a serif one, with noticeable variations in the thickness of the strokes. Behind the wordmark, the blue oval could be seen.
The oval Tyson Foods logo existed in more than one variation. Sometimes, there was an additional red oval or circle. In some versions, the blue oval had a decorative wavy trim.
The cool palette was replaced by a combination of shades of orange. According to the company, their aim was to make the design “more attractive in grocers’ display cases.”
The orange oval at the center was replaced by a red one. Also, it was made slightly wider in the middle.
The “R” sign disappeared from the emblem making it better legible. There was also some playing around with the shades. The aim of the redesign was to enhance readability and recognizability.
While the consumer brand still uses the red oval logo, the company introduced a different design for its corporate logo. It features a dark blue “T” inside a circle with an arrow in the background.
The warm and inviting colors of the brand logo are in contrast with the cool, business-like palette of the corporate logo.
While both the versions feature a serif type, it looks slimmer in the corporate Tyson Foods logo.