Vegeta is a brand of a condiment, manufactured by the Croatian company Podravka since 1959. Today Vegeta products are sold in more than 40 countries across the globe. It is the most well-known and successful label of the company.
The Croatian food company Podravka released Vegeta in 1959. It started exporting the condiment to Hungary and the Soviet Union in 1967. Today, it is sold in more than 40 countries.
The oldest version of the package showcased on the corporate website already contains the stylized depiction of a chef. It is blue and white on the yellow background. While the chef is facing to the right, like on the current Vegeta logo, he looks different. Here, the name of the brand is placed above the chef. It is red on the blue background and looks pretty much like the current one.
The origins of the chef image are not clear. Some claim it is a piece of clip art borrowed from the large collections of illustrations published in books for designers. It is possible that the clip art image was loosely based on Chef Boyardee, a real person who was known starting from the 20s for popularizing cheap Italianate food.
The 1971 version of the packaging already showcases a chef looking more like the current one. He has plumper cheeks. He winks and demonstrates the recognizable gesture emphasizing the quality of the product. The familiar type is still there.
The current Vegeta logo features a more realistic depiction of the chef. He is placed above the wordmark surrounded by a white ellipse. The packaging is dominated by various shades of blue paired with white.
The type has been only slightly modified. One of the most notable alterations is that the letters have grown bolder.