Little Caesars Pizza logo history: The iconic Little Caesars mascot and its meaning
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Little Caesars Pizza logo history: The iconic Little Caesars mascot and its meaning
The Little Caesars logo is probably one of the best-known emblems in the fast-food industry. Friendly, endearing, and charismatic, the design has captured the hearts and minds of pizza lovers worldwide, particularly with the help of the company’s memorable slogan.
The Little Caesars pizza logo is a unique brand asset for the company, ideal for showcasing its personality and history. Part of what makes the emblem so compelling is the use of the Little Caesars mascot, which simultaneously provides the brand with a sense of heritage and fun.
If you’ve ever wondered about the Little Caesars logo history and how the emblem has evolved over the years, you’re in the right place. Today, we will be taking a closer look at the compelling mascot and why it continues to be so impactful.
The Little Caesars pizza logo: Introducing Little Caesars
Little Caesars Enterprises is a multi-national pizza chain that started life in America before expanding across the seas into different international territories. The company was first launched in 1959, in Garden City, Michigan, by Mike and Marian Ilitch.
When the organization first appeared, it actually had a slightly different name: Little Caesar’s Pizza Treat.
Over the years, Little Caesars has achieved a number of successes, thanks in part to its memorable branding. The company filed the world’s largest pizza order (at the time) in 1998, consisting of 13,386 pizzas sent to the VF Corporation of Greensboro in North Carolina.
It was also among the first pizza companies to use a speed-cooking conveyor oven to make food.
Today, Little Caesars is the third-largest pizza chain in the US, according to total sales, following behind Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut. It operates throughout the USA, Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
The Little Caesars mascot has been with the company since the 1970s, although the depiction of the character has changed somewhat, along with the details of the wider logo.
In 2017, to coincide with the introduction of the Little Caesars arena, the company launched its most recent logo, sometimes known as the Little Caesars arena logo.
The Little Caesars slogan
While there are many factors that help to separate Little Caesars from its competitors in the food industry, one of the most famous of all is the Little Caesars slogan. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why does Little Caesars say pizza pizza?” the answer is simpler than you’d think.
The catchphrase, introduced in 1979, referred to an offer launched by the company to allow consumers to get two pizzas for the price of 1. Originally, these pizzas were served in a single long package.
In 1988, a new square deep-dish pizza called “Pan! Pan!” was introduced, though this product didn’t achieve the same fame as the original Little Caesars slogan.
The old Little Caesars logo: Little Caesars logo history
The Little Caesars pizza logo hasn’t always been the iconic image we know today. Originally, the company’s emblem was actually quite simplistic, consisting of nothing more than an attractive wordmark.
However, as the organization has begun expanding and building new facilities, it has also updated its visual presence alongside its marketing strategies.
1959
When Little Caesars introduced its first logo, it used the name Little Caesar’s Pizza Treat. The emblem wasn’t particularly creative, featuring a rectangular frame with the name of the company written in blue decorative font.
The moniker took up two lines, with the top half resembling handwritten font and the bottom in a simple sans-serif typeface.
1971
In 1971, the first version of the Little Caesars pizza logo with the famous mascot was introduced. After the company increased its footprint and service areas, it adopted a shorter name, as well as an iconic character intended to represent a Roman figure.
The emblem still featured the name of the company, this time in attractive serif-style typography. Above the wordmark, the Little Caesars mascot appeared in a circle, wearing an orange toga, with a pizza positioned on a spear beside him.
The mascot holds a triangular slide of pizza in his hand, with his mouth open, ready to eat.
2018
In 2018, the Little Caesars logo was updated slightly, with a few changes to the coloring and scaling of the various elements. The font choice remained largely the same, though it was slightly larger. The Little Caesars mascot was placed on the left-hand side of the wordmark in a curved square frame.
The developers also tilted the character to the left diagonally and cut out aspects of his appearance, such as his feet and sandals.
Why did they change the Little Caesars logo?
The most recent version of the Little Caesars pizza logo was introduced in 2017 to celebrate the opening of the Little Caesars arena.
At a glance, the design appears very similar to the previous emblem, featuring the Little Caesars mascot and the name of the brand, with the word “Pizza” added to the end. However, some aspects of the design have been enhanced or removed in this variation.
We see the full character in this design, with no borders or lines. The chest hair squiggle on the mascot has been removed, and the design on the toga has changed slightly. On close inspection, we can see the design actually spells out “LC” repeatedly – the initials for the company’s name.
The letters are thin and arranged one inside of the other.
The wreath on the Little Caesars mascot head is also a lot more noticeable, and the positioning of the character’s fingers is clearer and more defined.
Little Caesars logo meaning: The Little Caesars mascot
The Little Caesars logo mascot is perhaps the most compelling part of the company’s brand identity. Mascots often offer companies a way to connect with their audience on an emotional level and present a more human image.
The character is intended to be a reference to a Famous Roman emperor, specifically Julius Caesar.
However, this character could also be associated with any symbol of Roman royalty at a glance. Every aspect of his appearance comes directly from Roman heritage, from the laurel wreath crown (symbolizing high status) to the orange toga.
The mascot is intended to show a universal love for pizza, symbolized by the smiling face on the character in all of the brand assets. At the same time, it connects the organization with ideas of quality and excellence due to the connection with famous royalty.
Little Caesars logo fonts and colors
The Little Caesars logo is a fun and eye-catching symbol, ideal for capturing the attention of hungry consumers of all ages. The character tells us immediately that we’re going to love the taste of the food with his smiling face and pose.
At the same time, the Little Caesars pizza logo mascot reminds us of the history of pizza and its origins in Italy.
The cartoonish nature of the design also makes Little Caesars appear more friendly, laid-back, and informal, ideal for a fast-food establishment. If you want to inspect the Little Caesars logo in closer detail, you can find some useful resources here:
What color is the Little Caesars logo?
The Little Caesars logo colors are part of what makes the emblem so appealing. Unlike most fast-food restaurants, the company has chosen a bright orange shade for its emblem. While this is a slightly unusual color for the food industry, it’s a shade often associated with fun, creativity, and vitality.
The combination of orange and black in the Little Caesars logo color palette makes for a design that stands out and grabs attention in a range of environments.
The exact shade of orange used in the Little Caesars logo is:
Vivid Vermilion
Hex: #E7612A
RGB: (231, 97, 42)
CMYK: 0, 0.580, 0.818, 0.094
What font does the Little Caesars logo use?
The Little Caesars logo font is sophisticated, serif-style typography that contrasts well with the playful mascot character. The design is similar to the Little Caesar font made available on the web by Sharkshock fonts.
Taking a bite out of the Little Caesars logo
The Little Caesars pizza logo is one of the most iconic in the fast-food industry for a reason. This eye-catching and memorable logo connects with us on a human level thanks to its use of a fantastic, memorable mascot.
At the same time, the design draws attention to the company’s personality and the brand’s Italian heritage.
The Little Caesars logo might be a little unusual compared to other designs in the food landscape, but it has delivered fantastic success to the business over the years.
Fabrik: A branding agency for our times.
As Fabrik’s creative director, Stephen oversees complex branding programmes. He advises our clients on their tone of voice, creates logos and visual identities and crafts names for companies, products and services. Writing for Brand Fabrik Stephen reflects his love for logo design and visual identity.
