THE MEANING BEHIND THE SOLDIER DESIGN MARK
By Bobby Riley | June 9th, 2010
We’ve always received inquiries on the meaning of our graphic identity, but in recent months that inquiry has escalated for whatever reason. It is never a short answer, pitch or well delivered marketing message, rather it’s always a conversation on the key tenants of the Soldier brand and why we exist. I will deconstruct the four parts of the mark below and explain what each part means to us at Soldier and hopefully you can see how it comes together.
The Bird:
It’s an eagle, so we can start there. It’s not an alpha food chain thing more than an iconic bird that seemed fitting at the time and still does. Deeper than that perhaps, it’s a bird my dad loved. The eagle is simply a beautiful species that I learned to appreciate growing up through him, whether alive, vis-à-vis taxidermy and through image, motion or sound. You will notice the wings of the Soldier bird mark are lifted and raised high. The negative space creates a certain victory v-formation. It’s that “hell-ya-lu-yeah” hands in the air posture, that claims a certain faith, confidence and pioneering spirit we always enter an initiative with; i.e. Let’s create; Let’s invent; It’s on! To temper this we consider the feathered lightness of the bird just as much to remind ourselves to never take ourselves too seriously, which is classically known to kill joy and creativity. Staying light is essential to avoid falling into the trap of holding things too tight; especially oneself. It’s about promoting humility, so that no singular person at Soldier needs to experience the illusion that either total risk or reward is carried on one’s shoulders. It’s about team play, as our Business Director, Barry Dugan, would say. It’s also about rising above and seeing the landscape with perspective, which we believe is an operating vantage point one must have to truly create distinction and deliver an acute message with success.
The name Soldier:
It came as a bit of a vision or epiphany (perhaps a post of it’s own). The irony is that there is no intended military reference other than the implicit and explicit role of a soldier. A soldier, before all else, serves. Serves in a strategy-lead, tactical, excellent and vulnerable way. I believe design thinker and evangelist Tom Peters articulates the spirit of Soldier well in a recent blog post on excellence and service.
EXCELLENCE. Always.
If not EXCELLENCE, what?
If not EXCELLENCE now, when?
EXCELLENCE is not an “aspiration.”
EXCELLENCE is not a “journey.”
EXCELLENCE is the next five minutes.
Organizations exist to serve. Period.
Leaders exist to serve. Period.
Service is a beautiful word.
Service is a beautiful word. Service is character, community, commitment. (And profit.)
Service is a beautiful word. Service is not “Wow.” Service is not “raving fans.” Service is not “an experience.” Service is “just” that—SERVICE.
The word Design:
Design is subservient to Soldier. Design, like the idiom says, is a “means to a greater end” and never vice-versa at Soldier. Design is appreciated, studied and explored, but never idolized at Soldier. We look at design as a powerful weapon to deliver a message(s) in powerful ways. We use design to transition our clients from dial-up to broadband in message delivery. Often driven by consumer insights in our line of work, our design thinking doesn’t just capture the understanding of the information (mind), but an understanding and delivery through experience (heart and mind). Great design has the uncanny ability to break down dividing was of hostility whether stereotypical, cultural, racial or industrial, which is priority today as many of us are trying to advance our core audience, while continually trying to invite others into what we are trying say, offer, et al. We are trying bond well with many, you could say while being true and authentic to who we are. As a brand development group focused on the ‘consumer experience’, design is something that comes back around and serves us well in what we do and why it lives in the very name of our identity.
The Barcode:
Yes, the barcode does say Soldier Design. It was developed from a program that converts text into code and that can be read in an expected way. In our business it’s always about decoding, demystifying and working to make things clear, mostly through some level of control and consistency, but not always. In either case the barcode reminds us to get beyond the surface and that many answers and solutions are often deep, complex and to be discovered. From childhood, hide and seek has captivated us all and it continues through adolescents and beyond. It’s about seeking, unlocking and discovering. It’s the mystery that keeps us engaged in the story, which is a key through line for us all at Soldier. We must be telling a story in all we do. It must have characters, dialogue, plot power and be a journey above all. It must contain some universal truths in every great story. 1) Everything isn’t what it seems, like the barcode reminds us. 2)There is a great battle underway, which requires a certain soldiering tact to survive 3) You have a critical role to play, which speaks into the inclusive nature of relationships, and what it’s about at the end of the day. These are not unique to Soldier, but we own them in ways that are true to us.
What does your company stand for? Do you have a symbol or mark that carries a message and has the potential to be your stake in he ground to remind you and advance your team and audience on what you stand for and what direction you are heading together?