Marks of Excellence: The History and Taxonomy of Trademarks

by Per Mollerup

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.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Reference, Art Design, Art

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Vincent Sargenti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully printed hardbound edition with an incredible depth of information on the branding of planet earth throughout recent history.

[Ania Gaska · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels more like a catalog or a very large magazine rather than a book, I found more use in looking through the images than from the text.

[Adel]

good

[Diya Shah]

How to read this book

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, the imagery and layout of this book are amazing - the content, however, is not. A lot of it is very confusing - that is, Per Mollerup is kind enough to quote philosophers who went so far as to create their own words for things that were better just explained and as far as I can tell, have not ever entered common linguistic usage. The author uses said words willy-nilly, as if we should all just magically be able to know of what he speaks.

It's a very good visual reference, but the lack of quality in regards to the rest of it is why I dropped it two **s.

[Mike Hazlip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book highlighting some of the best logo designs in history. I still refer to this book for inspiration and as a reminder that some of the most striking and memorable trademarks are the simplest.

[R.Friend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive offering from Phaidon covering a broad range of international logos.

[Patrik Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-have about logos.

[Dale Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had previous posted a review about a different book here by mistake.