Result
As a staff designer, Bob Worrell was selected to design the logo. Research was conducted to understand the nature of the North American Bobcat was described as tough, quick, and agile, perfect descriptors for the product. The older mark had a minor problem of being "handed"" (the cat was running backwards on the left side of the machine) and the designer wanted to create a bolder, more aggressive image for the product and its brand image.
A major consideration was how the corporate mark was applied to the various machines being designed in the product line as well as how the mark would be used in print collateral. Also because the product was being sold internationally, the designer wanted a mark that would be appreciated for its design simplicity and integrity with a minimalist style in order to easily communicate the brand attributes regardless of language.
The new Bobcat corporate logo design not only met the criteria but has become one of the longest standing international logos and corporate brands in the world. The current brand mark has now withstood three corporate acquisitions in it's 35-year lifespan and has remained virtually unchanged in that time period.
Client Situation
In 1974 Bobcat was growing in its global presence and continuously working on improving its products so it was time to update their company logo originally designed in the late 1950s.
Melroe's European operation was established in Belgium during the 1970s when the company began exporting directly from North Dakota. The company expanded it's loader markets into Latin America and the Asia Pacific region and established a license to manufacture and market in Japan. With this global and international expansion the company asked its product design company to redesign its corporate logo to reflect a bolder position and attitude toward the market.
