Morrisons, the Bradford-based British supermarket chain, has used a yellow and green wordmark with a tree motif as its core visual identity since the mid-2010s. The current logo builds on a longer history of yellow and black and then yellow and green marks, with the tree symbol modernised and retained in the retailer’s 2023 brand refresh.
Design and History
Morrisons’ distinctive yellow and black logo served the company for decades before it was evolved into a yellow and green insignia in 2007. The black from the old logo, originally designed by former Telegraph & Argus artist Neville Lorimer, was replaced with green and the lettering was changed to a softer font.[1] The 2007 change was described by Morrisons as “an evolution” of its identity, reworking the old yellow and black logo in a different style and using yellow and green as part of a “refreshing combination of colours”.[2]
The 2007 rebrand was handled by Landor Associates, which was appointed to work on the branding for the store’s overhaul in January 2007 following a paid creative pitch against Wolff Olins.[3] Landor creative director Peter Knapp said of the colour choice: “We used yellow in a very dramatic way. It is a colour that Morrisons has ownership of. Lots of people are trading heavily for green, but yellow is relevant. It signifies brightness and freshness.”[3] The familiar “M” symbol was retained in the new design.[4]
In September 2015, Morrisons began testing a new logo at its Merrion Centre store in Leeds. The new fascia used a “friendly” font incorporating the “i” in Morrisons into a tree design with golden leaves, or petals, and added the phrase “Since 1899” underneath the store name, alluding to the establishment of the business as an eggs and butter stall.[5] The retailer registered seven variations of the new logo design with the Intellectual Property Office, all of which included a “friendlier” lower case typeface and referenced its heritage with the words “Morrisons since 1899”.[6]
Morrisons rolled out the new “Fresh” branding across 100 stores in 2016. The font was modernised, moving away from the geometric style, with the “i” used to form the trunk of a tree with gold leaves.[7] Group retail director Gary Mills said the new logo, featuring sprouting gold leaves, was still on trial at that point.[8]
In May 2023, Morrisons brought back its “More Reasons To Shop At Morrisons” strapline, which had last been used in 2006. The visual identity, including the green and yellow colour duo and tree logo, was modernised and remained central to the new campaign after performing strongly in research into Morrisons’ distinctive brand assets.[9] The campaign was created with Leo Burnett.[9]
Meaning and Symbolism
The tree motif in the current Morrisons logo is considered British and the leaves are in growth, according to commentary on the 2016 rollout.[7] The addition of “since 1899” harks back to the company’s origins as a butter and eggs stall established by William Morrison in Bradford Market.[10][11]
Typography and Design
The 2015-2016 logo change moved the wordmark away from the previous geometric, all-capitals style to an upper-case “M” with the rest of the name in lower case.[12][6] The earlier 2007 redesign had also changed the lettering to a softer font.[1]
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