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Ruby Tuesday, the international restaurant chain known for its casual dining menu and impressive salad bar, has been implementing a new, “fresh” (a word emphasized over and over) identity over the past several months to coincide with an update of the brand’s interior. Gone are black- and white- checkered tablecloths and the hodge-podge of sports memorabilia that adorned the walls and were reminiscent of Applebee’s or TGI Friday’s In their place is a more upscale and elegant look and feel.
For the most part, I am impressed with the work of DJ Stout and team from Pentagram, Austin. The new identity represents a more sophisticated eating establishment, and features some great brand extensions, such as the “RubyTueGo” take out service. While the green used on the RubyTueGo cups, billboards and bags are a little garish for my taste, they effectively communicate the idea of freshness. The burgundy, though not much different from the old, is warm and inviting.
RubyTuesday’s new logotype is set in Clarendon, a nice, slab typeface that feels somewhat contemporary yet friendly and approachable. Unfortunately, I think that the designers missed the opportunity to add some sort of embellishment to make it more unique—some minor tweaks could have also resolved the unusual kerning between the T and u of “Tuesday.” As bad and over-the-top as the old logo was, at least there were decorative touches to the tail of the R and S, as well as the ascender of the D—these resembled steam, suggesting good things to eat and making it more memorable.
In reading the Pentagrams’ blog and the description of the project, you would think that they were so proud of themselves for coming up with the idea of merging the restaurant name into one word… according to DJ Stout, “The idea of running the words ‘Ruby’ and ‘Tuesday’ together in the logotype came to me one day when I was sitting in the reception area… waiting for a meeting. I overheard the operators answering the phones and they would routinely refer to the company as “RubyTuesday’ as if it was one word instead of a two word name.”
Well, excuse me, but duh! I have always called the restaurant RubyTuesday, not Ruby [pause] Tuesday, or simply “Ruby,” or even “Tuesday” for that matter. What is interesting to point out is that on the restaurant’s signage (mock up shown on the Pentagram blog), the logotype does not run together to form one word, with Ruby being stacked on top of Tuesday — so much for the one-word ingenuity. Obviously the new identity has some limitations due to its horizontal nature.
And speaking of signage, you might have noticed in the Fresh Look link from the first paragraph that another logo — not the old foxy one, nor the new one — adorns the façade. Somewhere in between the new and the old, this logo made a brief and confusing appearance online and on TV ads. So, perhaps not the smoothest of transitions for Ruby Tuesday. Overall, there are very few things that I can find fault with in this new Ruby Tuesday identity. Pentagram’s “simple” and “fresh” perspective has elevated the sophistication of the brand and added a little more “snob appeal” to a chain known for its casual, affordable menu.
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Ty’s comment is:
I remember enjoying this new brand earlier this year in a RubyTuesday in Colorado Springs.
Not only is the logo sleek, but all of the collateral furthers a very clean and organized space, something that is not always prevalent in food service design. The menus use an extraordinary amount of white space, and it looks great, really outside of the restaurant design box.
Way to represent, Pentagram Austin!
On Nov.12.2007 at 09:57 AM
John McCollum’s comment is:
I dunno. I guess it identifies, but it fails to differentiate. I understand the desire to move beyond their trippy old mark, but I think that the guys at Pentagram missed an opportunity to create something new and interesting.
There's a fine line between 'simple' and 'generic,' between 'minimalistic' and 'underdesigned.' I think this one comes down on the wrong side.
Couldn't the designers bring in a little of the funk from the previous identity? Pull a swoopy tail from the R or one of the lower-case Ss?
It honestly looks like someone just typed the words.
On Nov.12.2007 at 10:02 AM
drew kora’s comment is:
The logo is nice. Though not iconic or screaming with originality, I love it. Honestly, it is a sutiable restaurant logo that compliments the much-more-important-than-a-logo-interior-decor of the restaurant. The decor isn't breathtaking, but finally one of the chains realizes that we don't want sports crap plastered onto the walls. (I'm looking at you Friday's, Applebee's and Bennigan's).
Their new look is elegant, modern, and the logo represents that very well. Simple. Fresh. ...sort of American.
On Nov.12.2007 at 10:07 AM
C-Lo’s comment is:
So basically they said, Well since we can't come up with anything good "old logo" we are just going to set type and hope for the best "new logo".
For set type, it works. It is basically a "Standard" logo that you can see anywheres, in any field, and still works.
On Nov.12.2007 at 10:14 AM
Von K’s comment is:
I think the Clarendon is nice, but agree that something could/should have been done to help differentiation and memorability.
As bad as the old mark was, there was a strong association with that "juicy" s in the circle and the smell and taste of a big, juicy burger (at least in my mind).
On Nov.12.2007 at 10:19 AM
Tim’s comment is:
It is surprising (or maybe not) that the logo isn't treated consistently between what is above and what seems to be displayed on the newly designed buildings. Same font, but different treatment...two words, different caps, all red...
On Nov.12.2007 at 11:59 AM
Anonymous’s comment is:
Yawn...
So boring!
On Nov.12.2007 at 12:01 PM
Dave’s comment is:
At least they don't have a spokesruby. Anyway, if their idea is to be more upscale, I think this logo and typeface is a great start. The ambience inside the restaurant is going to play more of a role in this rebranding effort.
On Nov.12.2007 at 12:13 PM
Consin’s comment is:
How about some brands that are not American for once. There must be a large proportion of 'brand new's' audience whom have never even heard of 'Ruby Tuesday's.
Remember, World, wide, web.
On Nov.12.2007 at 12:14 PM
felix’s comment is:
Seems DJ has taken his Pentacues® from Paula's "extending your brand"® business templates. Is Clarendon the new Optima? Nice logo.. er, I mean story.
On Nov.12.2007 at 12:14 PM
Ryan’s comment is:
It's not really much of a brand, though, simply because it fails to differentiate significantly enough. I get the "simple/fresh" quality to an extent, but as you said it really needs a little embellishment or tweak to make it unique. Maybe it needs a talking apple. I dunno.
The biggest bother, for me, really is the kerning between the T and u. They could've made a nice ligature between the two letters.
On Nov.12.2007 at 12:20 PM
Armin’s comment is:
> Same font, but different treatment...two words, different caps, all red...
Tim, see the closing paragraph from the main post. It's actually a different font, and it's some sort of interim logo.
On Nov.12.2007 at 12:32 PM
darrel’s comment is:
"I dunno. I guess it identifies, but it fails to differentiate."
"something could/should have been done to help differentiation and memorability."
"because it fails to differentiate significantly enough"
I can't imagine a more DIFFERENTIATING logo for a Generican-chain mall eatery than sparse, elegant, simple type treatments.
This new logo is quite refreshing and VERY unique *in that particular market*.
Remember the target market here, folks. This is the suburban family sick of the kids screaming in the house on a cold Saturday and finally giving in and saying "FINE, OK, let's go to the mall and grab lunch" (I'm speaking with experience).
And the new logo won me over. I was impressed enough that I thought to myself "next time we're stuck at the mall, let's try that place! It looks NICE."
Unfortunately, the food and service is still shit. I mean, as shitty as any chain mall eatery.
But I still dig the logo.
However, both the inconsistencies in the signage, and the design firm's explanation of how they discovered people don't actually audibly pause between words when speaking are rather embarrassing.
On Nov.12.2007 at 12:33 PM
darrel’s comment is:
And, I have to give the mark more points now that I see the new interior design shots. The logo matches the decor perfectly, IMHO.
I apparently ate at the older crap-on-the-wall+tiffany-lamps one last time I went to the mall.
Now, they have a new logo, new interiors...will there be a new menu!? You'd think food would be the first thing to be upgraded. Then again, this is the country that opts for crap nailed to the wall over taste.
On Nov.12.2007 at 12:38 PM
John McCollum’s comment is:
I can't imagine a more DIFFERENTIATING logo for a Generican-chain mall eatery than sparse, elegant, simple type treatments.
This new logo is quite refreshing and VERY unique *in that particular market*.
---
Darrel,
I hear what you're saying, but in my town at least, these are standalone restaurants. Then again, I don't really go to the mall, so they may exist there, too.
I agree that 'uncluttered' is nice, but couldn't they have at least tried to create something that looks, I don't know, custom? They could have done a ligature or a secondary graphic element of some sort.
Maybe I'm just tired of Clarendon. All it says to me is faux-retro-generic.
I predict that with time, the brand application will devolve, get cluttered, and the wordmark will look like someone typed the two words and forgot to leave a space.
On Nov.12.2007 at 01:46 PM
Andi’s comment is:
I have to say, I enjoy the new logo from Ruby Tuesday. I think it's nice. What I hate though, it their whole new atmosphere etc that has come with it. They want to look more upscale than TGIFriday's or Applebees, which is fine, but their menu hasn't changed. They've changed their napkins (which remind me of the new 'quiet' pad wrappers), their plates (which are square and very heavy), and only offer condiments in small tubs that will only work for half of your order of fries. If they want to be more upscale, I think their menu needs to follow suit. They look better than the other chains on the outside, but they serve the exact quality of food with the exact quality of staff.
Not that I don't like their food. But don't try to fool the customer into thinking they're getting something much more than they are.
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
Though I am loathe to admit it, I worked at a Ruby Tuesday to pay the bills while I was in design school, so I have a particular love/hate relationship with this post...
It is briefly mentioned in Ryan's update that there was an odd "interim" logo, but what isn't mentioned is that these are three of probably seven different logos used by the chain during the brief time that I worked there. You want to talk about bland, at one point on the menus it was RubyTuesday in Helvetica Neue 25 Ultralight in the same black/maroon combination as the more recent Clarendon mark.
The change from "kitchy" to "moderately upscale" was pretty hilarious to watch internally, at least from a designer's perspective. Large ships do not turn quickly. The uniform change was the best; in the span of like two months, we went from jeans and a white button-up shirt with a black apron to black slacks, a black shirt and ankle-length apron, but it happened one small change at a time.
I still remember coming in to work one day to find that the plates went from round to square with beveled edges (insanely fragile, mind you), the pint glasses changed to tall, slender, very feminine ones (actually causing a noticable dip in beer sales to men), the napkins became cloth-like, and fish and crab and steak suddenly appeared on the formerly burger-heavy menu.
And all the while, there was a dusty kayak nailed to the ceiling.
Best of luck to Pentagram in trying to clean up that train wreck.
On Nov.12.2007 at 03:02 PM
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
Dead on, Andi. I forgot to mention the confusion this caused the poor customers.
Of course, before this "genre-shift" was even remotely underway, the prices spiked dramatically with no noticable change in decor, service, attitude or quality. I recall there being many unhappy people...
On Nov.12.2007 at 03:07 PM
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
Dead on, Andi. I forgot to mention the confusion this caused the poor customers.
Of course, before this "genre-shift" was even remotely underway, the prices spiked dramatically with no noticable change in decor, service, attitude or quality. I recall there being many unhappy people...
On Nov.12.2007 at 03:14 PM
darrel’s comment is:
"Maybe I'm just tired of Clarendon. All it says to me is faux-retro-generic."
Which is *exactly* what they seem to be going for looking at the shots of their new interiors. ;o)
On Nov.12.2007 at 04:14 PM
J.J. Kaye’s comment is:
It feels like a cheap blanket, it will cover you but not keep you warm.
On Nov.12.2007 at 04:20 PM
Mark’s comment is:
I like it.
It reminds of the old simple logo they had when I first saw them in person.
You know the simple serifed all caps one before the horrid gigantic S came along?
This one doesn't look like crap either, very simple, easy and to the point, no unnecessary bullsh*t added in.
I have one question also, what idiot came up with the previous one? ugh. I swear that one looks like it reads "Ruby Tuesssssssssssssssssssday."
On Nov.12.2007 at 05:26 PM
eighthave’s comment is:
This is so frustrating, if I turn in something like this it's "boring" "uninspired" "lazy" and am asked why I couldn't spend more than 5 minutes on the thing or "ooooooo, made it one word with two capital letters...wow, how innovative (dripping with sarcasm)" but big-time expensive agency does it, and it's brilliant. Ok, I'm exagerrating a bit about it being brilliant, but you get my point.
On Nov.12.2007 at 05:49 PM
andrew miller’s comment is:
At least the old logo had some character. I always thought it felt like the Cheers logo (not that anybody in there ever knew my name).
I think they're making a step in the right direction, but sacrificed differentiation for simplicity in the process.
On Nov.12.2007 at 06:27 PM
Hyun’s comment is:
What is so impressive about this? At least the old logo had some character.
I bet if it was Wolff Olins who designed this it would've gotten trashed by everyone.
On Nov.12.2007 at 07:03 PM
potato’s comment is:
"So they're a newspaper now?"
came to mind
Peter Whitley’s comment is:
Ruby Tuesday, who could hang a logo on you?
On Nov.13.2007 at 12:43 AM
J. Shamblin’s comment is:
So what's the new design trend? The bland and the boring? And what's next... no identity at all?
This design is forgettable and it tells me their food tastes like cardboard. It's an awful design choice.
On Nov.13.2007 at 06:53 AM
Tom Dolan’s comment is:
The lack of creating a simple touch where the cap "T" meets the lowercase "y" and "u" is a shame. Opportunity for a custom, elegant ligature passed by.
On Nov.13.2007 at 09:45 AM
JMO’s comment is:
yeah, the only differentiating part of the menu is the salad bar add-on for like $3. it used to be $1.99, which isn't a huge price-change, but honestly, with every dollar increase in price, it seems less like an add-on and more like and entirely separate purchase. although i enjoy the new logo, and even better, the typeset styling of the tagline (seriously, is there anything better than tracked-out sans serif caps?), the interior shots of the made-over restaurants lacks any personality. seriously, if square plates are the new way, then why not some other quirky squared-off items (furniture, lighting, etc). and, there were at least 2 interim logos before this white-space wonder. the one linked to, the one in the ruby tuesday pictures. they had this cool thing with a fork and a knife, gently criss-crossed against a ever-so-slightly lighter red backdrop, and i'm a big fan of the uppercase U with a tail (and it had 2 of them!). i honestly don't think this one is the best solution. the all red mini-campaign seemed much more elegant/upscale/different/etc. but, hey, i'll take clarendon with no drop shadows or swooshes any day. it just seems easier to digest.
On Nov.13.2007 at 09:46 AM
JMO’s comment is:
and another thing: the name is RubyTuesday, but EVERYBODY verbalizes it as RubyTuesday's. either make concerted effort to advertise the name as it should be spoken, or buckle to the pressure and the 's. or, maybe this is just lazy street-talk. i hate it when people add the 's to everything, especially when the company's name is NOT derived from a person's name.
On Nov.13.2007 at 09:48 AM
DJ Min’s comment is:
While it's a question whether the company will be successful to bring their foods/services/experience to the next level, I think they took the right approach and created a form that hints company's new direction. Some people commented/complained about the generic nature of the new identity...I am glad that the new identity is sort of downplayed from a differentiation perspective.
On Nov.13.2007 at 09:59 AM
WORK, Oslo’s comment is:
The identity ain't all that bad, but the architecture/dimensional profile sucks big time. Agree that just a touch of ligature somewhere would do good.
On Nov.13.2007 at 10:17 AM
Chris’s comment is:
What I'm wondering is, is Ruby Tuesday's old logo a direct reference/homage to the Rolling Stone's Tongue and Lips logo designed by John Pasche in 1971. The restaurant, founded in 1972, is named after the song.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pasche
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Tuesday_%28restaurant%29
On Nov.13.2007 at 11:22 AM
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
Their training videos actually tell their employees that they're NOT named after the song, though I can't imagine how that is actually possible. It's probably some manner of intentional falsification to avoid a lawsuit, maybe?
I was just thinking, "Simple Fresh American Dining" is not correctly punctuated; Wouldn't "Simple, Fresh American Dining" be proper?
On Nov.13.2007 at 12:32 PM
Jeff Fisher LogoMotives’s comment is:
At least they no longer look like a 1970's hair salon...
On Nov.13.2007 at 01:42 PM
Jeff’s comment is:
I feel kindof guilty when I charge money for just typing words. Am I missing something here?
On Nov.13.2007 at 04:06 PM
Ty’s comment is:
Guys,
We've got to remember that there is much more to an identity than the logo. By looking at just the logo, this one looks like Pentagram mailed it in. But if you go to Ruby Tuesday and check out the menu and the collateral and identity, it is much more comprehensive and truly positions Ruby Tuesday in a unique place from other restaurants.
On Nov.13.2007 at 04:16 PM
damon’s comment is:
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING!!!!
It's clean, it's got a fairly nice typeface, and it's one of the least interesting or memorable marks ever...
I find the "day" kerning rather off as well, more so than the Tu kerning mentioned in the review.
The old logo at least had A STYLE, I mean, even if it was poorly done and archaic, this has no style as mentioned.
typesetting a word isn't a logo....base-fuckin-level.
On Nov.13.2007 at 05:22 PM
Moriarty’s comment is:
Mmmm, nice. (sic)
Several versions of the logo appear to be in use across the restaurant signage. None are exactly great. And as for DJ Stout's amazing idea that came to him in the reception of their head office?!?!?!? Not exactly a 'the earth is round' moment was it.
Out of interest, how international is it? Never seen or heard of one in my life (anywhere in Europe). All the images of their branches seem to be flat genereic boxes set in huge car parks, making me think of what you see outside the multiscreen cinema on the outskirts of town after spending half an hour on the motorway. You know the ones, they go up in a day, the ones that people fall into because they can't be arsed to go to a restaurant (that'd be somewhere that doesn't microwave / deep fat fry all their food). Seems a bit more like a 'happens to be there' rather than a destination restaurant…
They also go on about it being 'Simple fresh American dining' – I'm not sure what exactly that is but the restaurants kinda' look like they should be serving TexMex – which I'm not sure is exactly the vibe they're going for (although having now looked at their menu I think it could well be an improvement).
I've just read further, apparently 'Simple fresh American dining' is a burger and salad. Innovative.
It's also a five star restaurant, and perhaps this is a 'me being English' thing, but I have absolutely no idea what that means – I assume it means that it's a great place to eat, and yet, having eaten in restaurants in America that serve considerably better food than these I can only imagine how many stars they must have, 20, 30+…?
Much as I hate really laying in to other designer's work, I have to say that I'd expect more (especially of a company like Pentagram with the ability to do so much better than this) and that this is really, what's the word I'm looking for? Oh, yes, shit.
On Nov.13.2007 at 08:11 PM
Shane’s comment is:
I think the logo works much better when it is stacked. That is how I first ever saw it on the TV ads. The font gives it a nice vibe.
On Nov.13.2007 at 11:36 PM
mister_eaves’s comment is:
Someone above mentioned this recent reatment of the logo as the ending of some TV spots. (I found it on YouTube, posted a year ago, but I know I've seen it aired more recently than that.)
Full TV spot:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nLzQADfzLtA
On Nov.14.2007 at 03:02 AM
Asen Tsvyatkov’s comment is:
I hate it. Just think Pentagram then RubyTuesday, Pentagram, RubyTuesday, Pentagram, RubyTuesday, Pentagram, RubyTuesday, Pentagram, RubyTuesday, Pentagram, RubyTuesday...
Get it? Bad idea. Pentagram Austin needs to start saying no before somebody else says no to them.
On Nov.14.2007 at 03:08 AM
Jeff’s comment is:
Ty's comment above gives me a little more perspective as to how this logo functions as a part of the entire identity. That perspective is helpful, and I do think it's a nice-looking mark.
I will miss the giant flourish on the "S" though.
On Nov.14.2007 at 10:02 AM
jess’s comment is:
....I just wonder how much Pentagram's Austin office charged RubyTuesday to literally KERN 2 words together and set it in Clarendon...
Pentagram is SO overrated sometimes. This is definitely one of those times...
anybody agree?
On Nov.14.2007 at 04:43 PM
jessica t’s comment is:
....I just wonder how much Pentagram's Austin office charged RubyTuesday to literally KERN 2 words together and set it in Clarendon...
Pentagram is SO overrated sometimes. This is definitely one of those times...
anybody agree?
On Nov.14.2007 at 04:44 PM
joey’s comment is:
This is one of those logos my mom would look at and say "People pay money for that?" Aww mom.
On Nov.16.2007 at 10:54 AM
Andrew Boardman’s comment is:
Jessica, I agree. Dullsville. They chose a great and an appropriate typeface but didn't go any further, imho.
On Nov.17.2007 at 03:57 PM
Danny Tanner’s comment is:
The "one word" idea? Even with the lack of spacing, this mark still reads a two words. With each word a different color and each beginning with a capital, I find no difference from the American Airlines wordmark sans symbol (a classic).
This story would be more believable if the mark read "Rubytuesday" or spelled "RubyTuesday" all in a single color.
On Nov.18.2007 at 11:12 PM
ana’s comment is:
i like it better as it was before
On Nov.21.2007 at 08:00 AM
headsign’s comment is:
Candice! ;)
The new logo looks just like the next logo and lost connection to its words meaning and content.
On Nov.24.2007 at 06:28 PM
Emily’s comment is:
I agree the old logo was insanely dated, but the new one... just doesn't say "food" to me. I don't know why that is. It looks clean almost to the point of being techie, despite the serifs. It looks like the logo of actually a branding agency--a company whose product is not physical or at least not edible.
On Nov.26.2007 at 10:30 PM
felix’s comment is:
Ruby Tuesday getting sued for copyright infringement.
On Nov.30.2007 at 12:49 PM
Felipeiglesias.cl’s comment is:
I love to eat at Ruby Tuesday, but
On Jun.16.2008 at 11:28 PM
Mark’s comment is:
Ruby Tuesday recently changed their slogan to "Fresher, Better" in a new ad.
A little better than the previous one.
Cam Villar’s comment is:
I would have tried to keep a little bit of the "R" swoosh (sorry!) happening.
On Oct.13.2008 at 12:23 PM
Menk’s comment is:
Looks like the logotype of an online news paper.
On Dec.12.2008 at 10:34 PM
Pete’s comment is:
I'm sorry, but this is de-branding! All aesthetics aside, at least the original logo had personality. This logo says nothing about the experience you'll have at this restaurant other than it will be boring, it looks like they got a half-bit designer from Target to make it look "affordably tasteful."
On Dec.29.2008 at 03:33 PM
underdog makes good’s comment is:
I question, as a designer myself who worked on this project before it went to Pentagram, the claim by said agency that this is their work entire. However, I decided not to make a fuss over it because I thought the re-branding was ill-conceived from the get-go. I liked the old logo and I did it for the money. I considered making a legal case of it but I see this logo has not served the company very well (chain closing many stores) thus not much point in promoting it myself. Lastly, I went to an RT recently and for a mall in a restaurant it wasn't bad. The onion straws were quite good and help was wildly nice.
Oh, that menu design is also completely based on my original design. Oh well! :) Imitation is flattery - Coco Channel
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