Marks of Excellence: The History and Taxonomy of Trademarks [Paperback]

Per Mollerup (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 1999

This text covers every aspect of the trademark, its history, development, style, classification and relevance in today's world. A brief history is given of the origins of the trademark in heraldry, monograms, owner's marks and certificates of origin. The proceeding chapters explore corporate identity and communication design with an emphasis on sign theory. The core of the book is a comprehensive classification of trademarks covering name marks, abbreviations and all kinds of picture marks. This is followed by an alphabetical index of trademark themes from animals to word puzzles. The index is illustrated by a selection of the world's best trademarks - the marks of excellence from which this book takes its name. The final section of the book covers the development of trademarks over time and across the boundaries of language and space.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Finding the roots of trademarks in heraldry, potter's marks, monograms, and other such ancient devices, this book traces the history of the corporate visual lexicon and produces a taxonomy of the commercial age. An alphabetical section covers motifs from animals to waves, with short definitions and analyses beautifully complemented by daringly cropped and crisply photographed images. Pictures of this quality and interest would steal the show in most volumes, but the text stands up well to the challenge of images that gain force because of the familiarity of their subjects (corporate trademarks), and the unusual sense that the book's context lends to them. Marks of Excellence is a worthwhile exploration at the modern language of ownership. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

This book is an image fix for pop culture junkies, a visual reference for designers, and a crash course in semiotics.... 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. -- Wired, Rhonda Rubinstein --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (March 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714838381
• ISBN-13: 978-0714838380
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #263,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully illustrated look at trademarks, July 14, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Marks of Excellence: The Function and Variety of Trademarks (Hardcover)

Per Mollerup's Marks of Excellence is an interesting and beautifully illustrated look at trademarks. The most interesting part for me are the little anecdotes which occur here and there about particular trademarks. For example the Guinness harp is based on the O'Neill clan harp, when the Irish State was formed in 1922 they had to reverse the harp because Guinness owned the copyright.
The look and feel of the book is similar to any of the Graphis range. The book begins with a brief look at the precursors of trademarks such as heraldry, monograms and brands for animals and goods. It then examines the design process looking at the type of corporate identities that can be created and their application. The bulk of the book though is the taxonomy of trademarks breaking them down into classes, such as birds, botanical, buildings etc. There is a brief look at the background to the trademark accompanied by the name of company which uses the trademark and the designers behind it.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best logo design books EVER, April 28, 2002

By 

David E. Carter (Sanibel, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marks of Excellence: The History and Taxonomy of Trademarks (Paperback)

This is a beatifully designed book that is very complete. There are hundreds of examples of good design, and enough text to satisfy those who need detailed explanations. Quite simply, I have seen nearly all the books available on logo design, and this one of the best I have ever seen.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great reference for history of logos., September 30, 2005

By 

meagainstme (Springfield, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marks of Excellence: The History and Taxonomy of Trademarks (Paperback)

This book is a great resource for the methods behind some of the most sucessful logos created. Even if you are not a "logo designer" this book is a good reference. The author gets extremely deep into the psychology and methods of successful logos. Although sometimes laborious - it provides great background.