Just Eat Takeaway.comCopied

In July 2020 Just Eat Takeaway.com, the group formed by the merger of Just Eat and Takeaway.com, presented a new visual identity and logo to be adopted gradually across the 22 markets in which it operated. Periódico Publicidad reported that the Just Eat brand would replace its traditional red with orange to give it a fresh image that is recognisable internationally.

The colour argument was explicit. Orange is highly visible, and the company cited research showing that people associate it with friendship and joy, which it called ideal for the Just Eat brand. Touchpoint News, covering the Italian rollout, said that from 1 July a transition phase began: first the group's distinctive icon, a small house containing a fork and knife, appeared on Just Eat red, and during July the orange arrived gradually to give the logo a completely new look.

Touchpoint framed the merger as a way to strengthen the company's market position and consolidate three years of growth, with a brand image renewed to tell its philosophy and mission more clearly and immediately.

Phasing the change is the smartest part. Delivery brands live on phone screens, rider bags and restaurant windows, and switching all of that overnight would confuse customers who had trusted a red logo for years. Introducing the shared icon on the old colour first, then changing the colour, is how you move an audience without losing it.

Touchpoint reported the size of the merged group: present in 24 countries, with more than 48 million active customers, 155,000 partner restaurants and 413 million orders processed. In Italy the transition began on 1 July, with the house icon holding a fork and knife first shown on Just Eat's red before orange was introduced gradually through July, a colour the company said symbolises cheerfulness and friendship. Phasing the colour in gradually rather than switching it overnight is sensible when millions of people find you by the colour of an app icon.

The house with cutlery is literal to the point of bluntness, but delivery is a literal business. One recognisable symbol across many markets matters more than cleverness.