American Trademarks: A Compendium

TRADEMARKSA C O M P E N D I U M

AMERICAN

EDITED BY ERIC BAKER AND TYLER BLIK

INTRODUCTION BY STEVEN HELLER

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This comprehensive selection of marks, organized thematically in categories that address both subject and form, offers designers and fans of Americana the opportunity to visit graphic treatments of days gone by. From Hallmark to KISS and everything in between, the logos included here will surprise and inspire. Texts by leading identity designers today, along with examples of contemporary marks they have designed, provide insight into the thought process of creating a memorable trademark and reveal the importance of knowing the past in order to visualize the future.

CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE

Charles Anderson

Dana Arnett, James Koval, and Curt Schreiber–VSA Partners

Michael Cronan

Michael Doret

Stephen Doyle

Aaron Draplin

Emily Oberman and Bonnie Siegler

Clive Piercy

Ben Pieratt

Woody Pirtle

Sam Potts

Paula Scher

Scott Stowell

Eric Strohl

Sharon Werner

JP Williams

Eric Baker is design director for The O Group in Manhattan.

He is the author of Great Inventions, Good Intentions: An Illustrated History of American Design Patents; Hitting The Road: The Art of The American Road Map; and Invitation to The Voyage—A Poem Illustrated by Charles Baudelaire. His work has appeared in Print, Communication Arts, HOW, Domus, Metropolis, Blueprint, I.D. Magazine, the New York Art Directors Annual, British Design and Art Direction, the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Graphis.

Baker is on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts, where he teaches the history of graphic design and corporate identity. He has twice received National Endowment for the Arts grants for independent design history projects. In addition to his work and teaching he is a contributing editor of the award- winning design blog, DesignObserver.com.

Tyler Blik is the founder and creative director behind Blik, a 25-year-old San Diego-based design firm, guiding design work for a diverse roster of clients including Adidas golf, Airwalk footwear, Guess, Nissan, Infiniti, and the San Diego Museum of Art. His firm’s work has been recognized by AIGA, American Institute of Architects, Communication Arts, Print, the American Marketing Association, ADDY, Graphis, Domus, I.D. Magazine, and the American Association of Museums. Blik has been a part-time faculty member at San Diego State University. Previously published through Chronicle Books, he has made a commitment to sharing his expertise, and has held board positions with major regional and national organizations such as the American Institute of Graphic Arts, American Institute of Architects, Orchid & Onions public awareness program, and Partners for Livable Places.

www.chroniclebooks.com

$29.95 U.S.

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Long before America was branded, we were marked—with characters and symbols, shapes and hand-lettered type. Throughout the twentieth century businesses large and small sought to establish their identities with graphics that were appetizing, accessible, and above all else, unforgettable. Design veterans Eric Baker and Tyler Blik have assembled here over 1,500 known and lesser-known trademarks from the 1920s onward, including contemporary marks and comments by today’s design luminaries. This definitive collection is perfect for research, inspiration, and pure visual enjoyment.

3mm bleed on all sidesspine: 27/32’’

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Client: Chronicle BooksTitle: Fifty Years of American Trademarks: 1920-1970Our ref: 20086393Extent: cover with flapsSize: H11-1/2’’ x W24-31/32’’Software: Illustrator CS2Date: July 16, 09

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1935,NationalCoastProductsCorp.,Swedesboro, NJ. Canned Dog and Cat Food.1925,EmpireMillingCo.,Minneapolis, MN. Hog Feed.

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ANIMALS AMERICAN TRADEMARKS: A COMPENDIUM

1924,AllwoodLimeCo.,Manitowoc, WI. Hydrated Lime.

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AaronDraplin

DRAPLIN DESIGN COMPANY

My favorite logos are found on old things that usually get thrown away.

When it comes to trademark design, I’ll forever be inspired by heavies like Saul Bass, Lance Wyman, Lester Beall, and Paul Rand. Their geometry, restraint, and wit is that of legend, and I fight hard to exhibit their time-tested sensibilities in my own work.

But those guys get enough press, so I’m gonna rant about the “unsung heroes of logo design”—or “the folks who make the stuff that is often overlooked, and far from celebrated in glossy design books: the designers of no-bullshit logos found on old stuff in garages and basements.” That might sound a little vague, but that’s the best way I can put it.

I’ll be at some estate sale or garage sale, battling middle-aged eBay parasites, scared arachnids, and bored ghosts, and I’m elbow-deep in some old workshop cabinet and I’ll be stopped in my tracks by an old package of forgotten hardware.

And on that package will be a logo representing whatever company made the nail, fuse, or ball bearing that it holds. Completely straightforward and devoid of any pretension, their sole objective was to set themselves apart from the other packages on the shelf at

the hardware store. And what a job they did. Garages from 1950 must have been beautiful, considering the garbage you are forced to buy at Home Depot nowadays.

So yeah, there’s a lot to be learned from the celebrated masters of logo design. But equally, there’s a wealth of greatness to be discovered on things that are hidden in old cupboards and tackle boxes. If you know how to look, you’ll find ’em. Be warned: You gotta get dirty.

While my scavenging competitors are tussling over cast iron skillets and glassware, I’m perfectly content rescuing this stuff from a certain death in a landfill or incinerator. And to whoever designed the “International Rectifier Semiconductors” logo on that old radio com-ponent package I rescued from that shed in Spokane last week, well, I applaud you.

2007,DDCOpenRoadDiv. 2007,SuburbanBlend. 2008,CobraDogs.

2004,UnionBindingCo. 2007,ExitRealWorld. 2005,Re:volve.

2005,LongbreedGary. 2008,RedwingFarms. 2004,NikeAirMax.

AMERICAN TRADEMARKS: A COMPENDIUM


1958,NorthropAircraft,Inc.,Bevery Hills, CA.Manned Aircraft,

Missiles, and Drones.

1947,CornellResearchFoundation,Buffalo, NY.

Models for Comparison and Study for Technical Use.

1940,TheStouseAdlerCo.,New York, NY.

Men’s Undergarments.

1954,NorthCentralAirlines,Inc.,Minneapolis, MN.

Air Transportation of Persons, Property, and Mail.

1948,AmericanAirlines,Inc.,New York, NY.

Air Transport of Passengers and Freight.

1948,EasternAirLines,Inc.,New York, NY.

Air Transportation of Persons, Property, and Mail.


1946,RepublicAviationCorp.,Farmingdale, NY. Airplanes and Parts Thereof.

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1947,TheAmericanOilCo.,Baltimore, MD. Gasoline.

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TRANSPORTATION



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1965, King Foods, Inc., Newport, MN.Frozen Meats.

1963, Philippine Cigar Co., San Francisco, CA.Tobacco Products.

1962, Bilt-Rite Baby Carriage Co., Brooklyn, NY. Doll Carriages.

1962, Stover Plywood Corp., New York, NY.

Refinished Plywood Panels and Plywood Doors.

1963, The Quaker Oats Co., Chicago, IL.

Biscuits and Cookies.

1967, The Earl of Hardwicke, Ltd., New York, NY.

Drinking and Eating Ware Made of China.

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CIRCLES AND SHAPES

1961, The Paramount Line, Inc., Pawtucket, RI.

Greeting Cards.

1970, The Walter Reade Organization, Inc.,

Oakhurst, NJ.Prints and Publications

1963, Permanent Peace Association,New York, NY.

Identifies Members of Association.

1969, Sid Galper, Los Angeles, CA.

Landscape Architecture.

1974, Ralston Purina Co.,St. Louis, MO.

Recreational Services.

1966, W. A. Benjamin, Inc., New York, NY.

Textbooks.


1976, Unicorn Products, Ltd., London, England.Sporting Goods.

WORLD IMPORTS

1967, Cominco, Ltd., Quebec, Canada.

Chemical Fertilizers.

1973, Simpson of Australia, Ltd., Victoria, Australia.

Men’s and Women’s Sports Clothing.

1977, Rumianca S.P.A., Torino, Italy.

Pesticides and Plant Pharmaceuticals.

1973, Audi Nau Auto Union Ag., Ingolstadt, Germany.

Automobiles.

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1972, Primrose Sportswear, Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Women’s Clothes.

1960, Société Eminence, Nimes, France. Briefs, Waistcoats, and T-Shirts for Men, Women, and Children.

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1960, Hearmann & Reimer GmbH, Holzminden, Germany.

Aromatic and Flavoring Substances.


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Michael Doret

MICHAEL DORET GRAPHIC DESIGN

Most of the wonderful trademarks compiled in this collection share one unfortunate trait: the names of the men and women who brought them to life are mostly forgotten. But through these marks, as represented by this collection, they have left a rich graphic legacy that was a strong force in shaping my aesthetics and my graphic vision, as well as those of many of my contemporaries.

Some of these trademarks are real prize-winners; many are quirky, some even downright awkward, but almost all of them joyously display a flagrant lack of regard for what some would consider to be “the formal rules of design.” It is precisely this freewheeling, almost “anything goes” attitude that gives these marks their energy. I imagine that these artists were just doing what came naturally; they may not have known the rules, so how could they have known they were breaking them? It is these “mistakes,” these flourishes typographic and pictorial, that I find so engaging, and that I’ve tried to pay homage to in my own design work. This collection represents a rich graphic vocabulary that still resonates in today’s digital culture. Some call it “vintage.” I call it vital and alive, bearing the imprint of the maker’s hand. I would be satisfied if I could get but a small portion of the fun, the irreverence, the blissful lack of self-consciousness of this work into my own.

So I salute all of them, those designers, those nameless unsung heroes of mine, for without their accomplishments and without being able to go through the doors they unknowingly pried open, what I do might never have been possible.

2006, Alphabet Soup, Type Founders.

1997, Coolsville Records.

1980, Graphic Artists Guild. 2000, Hollywood and VIne. 1997, Local Flavors QVC.

1999, Knicks National Basketball Association.

1996, Storyville PostMVP Creative LLC.

2006, Tribeca Film Festival. 2000, uMogul.com.


American Trademarks: A Compendium

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