Tennessee Logos

Famous Logos From Tennessee

The southern state of Tennessee is known for many things from farming to country music to auto manufacturing, however, recent decades have seen the Tennessee economy become even more diverse. The favorable tax conditions in the state have attracted some of the nation’s top retailers and corporations looking to set up shop in the state. 

Let’s explore some of the top logos for the best-known businesses that have made Tennessee their home. 

Dollar General

Since its founding in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, in 1955, Dollar General Corporation has become synonymous with a solid value at a low price.  The corporation has grown from its humble roots to become the largest wholesaler in the US.  Dollar General has earned accolades as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies in 2020 as well as a spot in the top 100 of the Fortune 500. Initially focused on providing affordable grocery and household items for rural customers with limited budgets and limited shopping options, the corporation has now expanded to most major markets throughout the US. 

The Dollar General logo has evolved steadily over the years, taking on its familiar bright yellow background in 1984, and undergoing slight styling and name changes to reach its current form. From 1984 to 1995 the logo placed a strong emphasis on the word “DOLLAR”, rendering this word in an ultra-bold modern Serif font, with the tagline “GENERAL STORES” appeared stacked alongside in a much smaller version of the same typeface. The word “STORES” was dropped from the title in 1996, and the wordmark “DOLLAR GENERAL” was rendered in one straight line atop a simple yellow elongated rectangle background. The design underwent another small change in 2009. This time the word mark was narrowed slightly, and the yellow background took on a more lemony hue. The rectangle was also given a slight inverse curve in the center at both the upper and lower edges creating the fun, modern logo that is still in use today. 

FedEx

FedEx is one of the best-recognized shipping and package delivery brands in the nation. The company was initially launched under the moniker Federal Express in 1971, but the name would eventually shorten to FedEx in 1991. The brand logo that is most strongly associated with the brand came to be in 1994 and has been in use ever since. 

The FedEx logo features several noteworthy elements that the casual observer might miss. First, many are unaware of the clever optical illusion hidden in the design that quite literally points to the brand’s industry affiliation. Take a look at the white space between the “E” and the “x”. Do you see the white arrow?  The “Ex” in the familiar Sans Serif classic block typeface logo is also presented in different colors to represent different divisions of the shipping magnate. For example, while “Fed” is always rendered in blue, you may see “Ex” rendered in orange for FedEx Express, in red for FedEx Freight, and green for FedEx Ground. 

Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel restaurants and stores are practically synonymous with Southern cooking, southern hospitality, and classic country living. Few know that these roadside restaurants were actually launched by an oil executive in 1969 as a way to drum up more business for gasoline stations located along the long stretches of interstate between major cities. 

After launching the first trial location along the highway in Lebanon, Tennessee the concept took off, and by 1977 there were a total of 13 Cracker Barrells spread between Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky. Owner, Dan Evins realized that it was time to get serious about branding and teamed up with designer, Bill Holley, who sketched out a quick first draft on a napkin. This “quick sketch” would eventually become the iconic Cracker Barrel logo.

To this day, Cracker Barrel restaurants are adorned with the classic illustration of an elderly country gentleman reclining in a wooden rocking chair next to a large wooden barrel. The man has even gained a  nickname, “Old Timer”, at some point over the years. A stylized orange-gold bubble with a russet brown rope-style border frames the “Cracker Barrel” wordmark rendered in a brown bold Serif font. The brand logo is presented in an interesting mix of both capital and lowercase letters, with the tagline “Old Country Stores” appearing in a thin, Sans Serif font below. The brand uses the same logo design with a monogram “CB” typeface wordmark and “OLD COUNTRY STORES” tagline on its licensed merchandise sold in other retail locations.