Exclusive: The story behind Blue Plate Mayo's new logo

Blue Plate Mayonnaise has a new look and the company talked with Axios exclusively about what inspired the rebrand.

Why it matters: Blue Plate started in New Orleans in 1927 and was one of the first commercially prepared mayonnaise brands in the country, according to Reily Foods Company, which bought Blue Plate in 1974.

• The New Orleans-based company also owns Luzianne, Swans Down Cake Flour, CDM Coffee, French Market Coffee and more.
• Blue Plate was made in Gretna before moving to a Mid-City factory. It’s now made in Knoxville.

Flashback: The new logo is a throwback to the vintage blue Willow Ware dishes from the 1930s and 1940s, Blue Plate spokesman Dan Trahant tells Axios.

• One of the founders of Blue Plate was inspired by the plate and saw it as a “symbol of home, family, tradition and the pleasures of good cooking and good company,” Trahant says.
• The new label also incorporates the front on the old factory in Mid-City that is now home to the Blue Plate Lofts.
• Plus, it’s a nod to a vintage Blue Plate jar that’s in Reily Foods’ collection.

What they did: Tilt, a design agency in Baton Rouge, worked on the rebranding for about a year, Trahant says.

• The logo now leans heavily on the company's Louisiana roots and incorporates a flying pelican, magnolias and a paddlewheel in the water.
• The company kept the blue and yellow color scheme that was used for years on the previous label.

• The cost of the rebranding was not disclosed.

What’s next: All Blue Plate products will get the new label during the next few months. But don't worry — Trahant assures us the recipes aren’t changing.

1 fun thing to go: Trahant, senior brand manager for Blue Plate, weighs in on how he eats Blue Plate products.

• Favorite product: "The New Orleans Hot & Spicy Mayonnaise that we just launched. I love spicy foods."
• Favorite way to eat Blue Plate: "A po'boy without Blue Plate is just a sandwich, so I'm going to have to go with a fried shrimp po'boy, dressed."

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