Remember when the freshest antiestablishment statement was the subversion of corporate logotypes? Those twisted trademark variations were prominently displayed on T-shirts, handbills, and skateboards in all the worst neighborhoods. Nike, McDonald’s, and Tide were parodied in campaigns for sex, marijuana, and raves. But to find inspiration young entrepreneurs had to either buy the product or scour the libraries. If only Marks of Excellence had existed then, those hours could have been spent actively pursuing sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
This book is an image fix for pop culture junkies, a visual reference for designers, and a crash course in semiotics for those who spent their college years doing other things but have ended up at the same dinner parties as those who studied structuralism, linguistics, and Saussure. Marks looks at the significance of logos, monograms, metaphors, products, packaging, penguins, pretzels, brands, buildings, and more logos.
Scandinavian designer and author Per Mollerup’s analysis and anecdotes fill the book’s text, while the captions tell specific trademark histories. Take the red and blue barber’s pole, which I had previously considered a quaint relic of a kinder time. But traditionally barbers also performed surgery, including bloodletting. "To further the bloodletting, patients were given a pole to grip. When not in use, the pole hung outside the barber surgeon’s shop with the bloodstained bandage that was twisted around the patient’s arm." A little off the top, anyone?
On the other hand, there is little comment on one of history’s most potent motifs, which merits a single sentence: "The swastika is an ancient symbol whose meaning for people in the West was changed as a result of its appropriation by the Nazis."
The bulk of Marks of Excellence is devoted to the commercial logos that dominate the world and how they got there. As an art director, I found it humbling to realize how many classic identities were created not by designers, but rather by company founders. The look of The Wall Street Journal was devised by Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser. Coco Chanel designed the elegant No. 5 package, and R. J. Reynolds takes the rap for Joe Camel.
A book that rigorously examines trademarks and their meaning is essential for the bookshelves of the visually inclined. It’s also destined for the coffee tables of today’s corporate wonks obsessed with branding. As a tasty book ready to be consumed, Marks of Excellence exemplifies the commodity value of visual identity.
Marks of Excellence: The Function and Variety of Trademarks, by Per Mollerup: US$75. Phaidon Press: (800) 722 6657, +1 (415) 777 8467.
This article originally appeared in the October issue of Wired magazine.
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