IHOP is trying to showcase its family friendliness by changing its logo for the first time in more than 20 years.
The updated logo features the ‘O’ and ‘P’ in the chain’s name as part of a prominent smile. IHOP felt the red banner in the old version “appeared as a person’s frown,” Kirk Thompson, the chain’s vice president of marketing, told BuzzFeed News.
The logo brings IHOP’s “commitment to smiles” to life, the chain says. It also follows efforts from a growing number of chains who’ve infused their advertising with feel-good sentiment, such as McDonald’s “Pay with Lovin’” and Arby’s “Good Mood Food” campaigns.
“Our guests have told us for many years that coming to IHOP, and in many cases, just thinking about our world famous pancakes makes them smile,” Thompson said in a press release. “We believe this new logo captures the essence of the IHOP experience, which consistently delivers our guests not only craveable food, but also great memories shared with family and friends.”
This isn’t the first time in recent memory IHOP has looked to a redesign to boost sales among its 1,650 locations. The chain credited a menu redesign with increasing its comp sales 3.6 percent in the third quarter of 2013, according to Bloomberg Business.
To usher in its new logo, which has rolled out on the company’s website, menus and select restaurant signage, IHOP is promoting its “Summer of Smiles,” a series of events held nationwide to celebrate individuals and organizations making a difference in their communities.
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