Brand Icon Mystery

Adam said:

I just hope it’s an american brand I’ve never heard of because those double quotes have me clueless

Richard Bird said:

You are absolutely correct, Adam. News sources far and wide have labeled this brand an “American Icon.” It’s interesting that the quote marks have you puzzled. I was considering making them the only thing visible at first, since they are unique to this mark’s character.

Raymond said:

That’s not part of that IBM @ thing is it? The one that looks like an e?

Blakems said:

Is it a communication company?

Richard Bird said:

Raymond, Blakems: No and no. (To make things simple, going forward I will respond when comments move in a positive direction toward the solution. Assume otherwise if no response.)

Nick Stenning said:

I’m sure I’ve seen that - at least I think I recognise it.

Is the part-circle on the right part of a stylised ‘world’ .. If not then I don’t think it’s what I think it is.

Nick Stenning said:

It’s just dawned on me … I think this is the little stickman holding the world up.

Or maybe not.

Can’t for the life of me remember where it’s from if I’m right though.

|Adam said:

so when do we see more?

Matt said:

General Electric.

Jeff Werner said:

Dang, I’ve been struggling with this logo for days. I Googled and Wikipediaed around but nothing was matching up. It looks so familiar in a way and I thought it was GE (as Matt above says) but I couldn’t find any matches in their logo history. I think the quote marks are throwing me off, and I have to keep in mind Richard may have meant the brand has a 75-year history, while the company could me much older (so is it GE?).

David Woodward said:

Is it Allstate? They’ve been around for quite awhile.

Richard Bird said:

Not a bad guess, Mutt and Jeff, since the character of this brand’s particular iteration is somewhat similar to earlier GE marks. But, it’s not GE.

(Correction: Matt and Jeff) ;)

I admit really beating around the bush on this one, but it’s not a trivial or obscure brand name. After 75 years, still number one in its category without any marketing or advertising support at all.

Tristan said:

Is it Printing News?

Jeff said:

You are killing me with this line about no marketing or advertising support.

Is this a logo that is still in use today? You mention the transformation of the brand…is this an older logo or the current one?

Tory said:

Levi Strauss & Co.?

Tory said:

Actually, I think it’s the old Twinkie/Hostess logo.

Alex said:

Is it the Allstate logo ?

Kurt Didenhover said:

General Mills?

niti said:

It’s Johnson and Johnson baby stuff?

TM said:

It looks like JnJ.

Raymond said:

Firestone?

Richard Bird said:

Excellent question, Jeff. This is not the current logo. Though, it is commonly reported that this brandmark has “never” changed, it is in fact untrue. The iteration you see here appeared briefly, yet very publicly. Great thinking, Jeff.

Chris said:

I would have guessed it was Johnson & Johnson as well, but after looking at the J&J website I don’t think it is.

I’m stumped, the last image of the two decenders is confusing. It looks like 2 J’s to me.

Richard Bird said:

Yes, brand name very much in use today. I should add: that, even though we are not examining the most current version of this brand’s logo, it still contains a most distinctive and valued element that sets it apart.

Shaun said:

Peterbilt?

Alex said:

Does it have anything to do with New Mexico ?

Mike G said:

I’m going with the following:

Howard Johnson
Airstream

Even though I don’t know how they apply to the clue.

andrew said:

Is it a financial services company?

Jeff said:

Interesting. I am hoping I’m old enough to have seen this logo before.

I am trying to think of brands that would not have had competition, that could have retained a #1 status with no advertising or marketing. Historical monopolies…

Sports teams, Amtrak, Disney, Bell Systems..

Chris from Scottsdale said:

Question: when you are using the word “brand” in this case are you referring to a product line or a company name?

Jin said:

1965 - first Pillsbury Dough Boy Commerical and the first Indy 500 race for Al Unser.

Indy 500 racers drink milk after they win (particularly buttermilk) and of course there’s the buttermilk biscuits and all.

Those are the only two link I could find between the two. Got me no where, though.

Brendan said:

Budweiser

joel schou said:

I’m going to guess “Jiffy” Mix.

Dana said:

I’m going to say Betty Crocker.

Dana said:

Nope, it IS Jiffy Mix. :)

joel schou said:

It is? Cool!

I haven’t been able to find any Jiffy Mix logos that use a typeface different than the current one and I DEFINITELY haven’t been able to find something that would match the sample. However, every logo I’ve found has the quotes.

patrick h. lauke said:

interesting…but very obscure for anybody living outside of the states, i guess…

Jin said:

Pillsbury - biscuit/muffin mix - jiffy mix

Al Unser - jiffy lube

Is that the connection?

I guess I wasn’t creative enough.

matt said:

well done, joel schou!

joel schou said:

But do we know that’s the correct answer?

Dana O said:

I’m working to verify it. So far, nothing. I thought the connection was the logos on the car that Al Unser drives — although I can’t verify that either! :) I guess I saw the blue and quotes and went from there. (Mr. Bird did say that the quote were unique to this mark).

I’ll keep looking into it though.

dru said:

so has to be jiffy

Dana O said:

Jiffy Mix was started in 1930. 75 years ago!

Another coincidence? It’s GOTTA be Jiffy Mix.

:)

Dana O said:

Richard also said that this company has been the top in it’s field without advertising. If you go to the Jiffy Mix website, they talk about how they don’t do that — or at least pass the cost onto the consumer.

Okay, Richard, are we right?

Dana O said:

For the connection between Al Unser and Pillsbury Dough boy, I found out that Jiffy Mix is owned by Howdy Holmes — a former NASCAR driver. While I can’t find out right now, maybe Al Unser was sponsered by Pillsbury/Betty Crocker/GE (I think they bought Pillsbury).

I may be stretching it… :)

SH said:

I think it’s “Jiffy” mix as well, but their company has been around a lot longer than 75 years…

joel schou said:

Dana O, you sure are working hard to verify my guess ;-) Not that I don’t appreciate it… Now I’m kind of giddy waiting to find out if it’s right or not. Command + r is getting a workout on my keyboard. Gah!

P.S. Why won’t this neat little form “remember me”?

Dana O said:

SH,

Chelsea Milling Company has been around longer than 75 years, but the BRAND “Jiffy” Mix has been around exactly 75 years this year.

If it’s not Jiffy Mix, I think both Joel and I will be very disappointed. :)

I’m going all out trying to verify this logo since it really bugs me that 1.) I didn’t recognize it and 2.} If it IS Jiffy, that I didn’t recognize that. I think there should be more of these things on here. I’m sure we’ve all seen that “brand alphabet” chart that has been around. That thing was a blast to figure out. I think I only didn’t know two or three. One of them was Hebrew National. Still have no clue who they are. I’ve never seen their products at my local grocery store.

Jeff said:

Wow, I think Joel got it. I can’t find any history of the other logo either. Maybe Richard just made it in Photoshop. :-)

And to think, I DID go through my kitchen looking for matches as well…but as a young single guy, I don’t bake much, and therefore…no “Jiffy” Mix.

andrew said:

hebrew national makes (among other things) hot dogs. look for the logo on hot dog carts all around any major city.

Richard Bird said:

Congrats, Joel. Great detective work! You will have to fill us all in on how you got there. You and Dana O. are a great team. Check in tomorrow. I will post some interesting facts behind this one, including the Pillsbury-Unser link, unless you guys figure that one out, too!

Dana O said:

Nice job Joel. You’re awesome!

Maybe the Pillsbury-Unser link is that Al Unser won a Pillsbury bake off. :)

Joel schou said:

How did I figure it out? Your guess is as good as mine!

Actually, when you mentioned the Pillsbury connection, i started trying as many different milling/flour companies as I could. I tried General Mills, Kelloggs, Pillsbury, Post, Quaker Oats …Jiffy Mix… Betty Crocker, etc.

I couldn’t find any quick and easy matches for the logo, so I went back and reread your clues. The one about the quotes being such an integral part of the logo stuck with me. That had been the biggest thing I noticed when I visited the Jiffy Mix web site the first time. Then when I took note of the fact that the mystery logo wasn’t the brand’s current logo, I figured it must be it. The blues matched pretty well and the quotes were the killer. I figured it was a respectable guess, if nothing else.

So there you have it. Dana has done about 1000x more research than I did into the details behind this little project (Jiffy’s lack of advertising, for example). I just wandered over from some random link in my RSS reader, thought it looked like a fun little challenge, and gave you my best guess. I’m thrilled to have “won,” but it was an honor just to be nominated ;-)

An interesting aside: I may be a mid-20s single guy, but I DO have Jiffy Mix in the cupboard. No, I don’t bake, but nothing beats waffles for breakfast on a Saturday morning :-D

Dana O said:

Okay, last post and then I’m done. :)

Pillsbury has an annual “Driver of the Year” award. I’m guessing that Al Unser won that award at one point.

The only other thing I found was that someone once said Al Unser has a Pillsbury doughboy physique.

It’s interesting though…thanks to my research, I know now that 3 generations of “Unsers” were on one episode of Home Improvement, as Tim’s guests on Tool Tim. That’s a handy bit of trivia for you. So now if you ever go on a game show and that turns out to be the million dollar question, you’re welcome in advance. :)

Jeff said:

Joel,

Well then, you put more effort into your cooking than I. :-) But when I DO make pancakes, I use Bisquik, not Jiffy anyway. ;-)

Adam said:

never heard of it!

Alan said:

Never heard of it.

Greg said:

Ahh, that reminds me of when I was a kid and mom would break out the Jiffy cornbread mix and have that with some beans.

MMMM… beans and cornbread. haven’t had that in years.

For those that have never heard of it, Jiffy is an American brand of baking mixes, from pancakes to cake to cornbread to frosting.

Website

Jeff said:

Fairly certain that I dreamed about Jiffy Mix last night, thanks.

:)ensen said:

Jiffy Mix?

Never heard of it. I’m guessing that this big US brand has nearly zero global reach.

Chris said:

Never heard of it, either.

Kim Siever said:

Jiffy Mix? Sounds like a cement company who make concrete really quickly.

Being in Canada, we are bombarded with American music, movies, TV, newspapers, magazines and the like, and I have never heard of this company.

Jeff Werner said:

I’m Canadian and I’ve always heard of Jiffy Peanut Butter, but not Jiffy Mix.

Richard Bird said:

It’s no surprise that few outside of the U.S. know Jiffy. And “that’s not right.”

So, I will send at my own expense two boxes of Jiffy Muffin Mix to the first 10 unique country delivery requests posted here on About Design immediately following this one. One for you and one to share with a friend.

Post your name and country here so everyone can see the top 10 unique countries as they come in. Then send me an email with complete information.

I will send a box out within a week by U.S. Post, so don’t expect it overnight! (Unless you wish it so at your expense! :)

michaelr said:

Perth, Western Australia…

I wonder if I can convince my wife to cook something for me… =]

jarkko said:

Jarkko Laine, Finland

…and I’ll bake’em up myself ;-)

Tom said:

Tom Martin
United Kindgom

Jaroslav Ferlez said:

Jaroslav Ferlez
Slovenia

Never heard of this product… is it good? :)

Sam said:

Shabeer
India.

Oh the things I have to do to get something for free … what is this world coming to? :)

gleb zhgun said:

Russia :)

Kristoff said:

Belgium!
The brand’s completely unfamiliar to me. However, I did read ‘cookies’!

Jeff Werner said:

Jeff
Canada.

Mmmmm, muffins from across the border.

nednieuws said:

The Home of Heineken! (Holland, that is.) Looking forward to an enjoyable breakfast one Sunday morning :)

Brian said:

I’m from Texas and I’ve never heard of it or seen it. Of course I don’t think I’ve ever baked anything in my life.

carolina said:

Brazil!

Richard Bird said:

That’s it! We’ve got 10.

1. Australia - michaelr √
2. Finland - jarkko √
3. U.K. - Tom √
4. Slovenia - Jaroslav √
5. India - Sam √
6. Russia - gleb √
7. Belgium - Kristoff √
8. Canada - Jeff √
9. Holland - nednieuws √
10. Brazil - carolina √

Be sure you’ve all sent me an email with complete mailing info. I’ll send you all a note when the packs have gone out. Enjoy.

Note: A checkmark ( √ ) next to you indicates that I have received your complete mailing info. If no checkmark, please send complete mailing address to my TypeKey Email Address

Richard Bird said:

Okay! Just about there! Today, I went to a local grocer and bought 20 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix.

The cashier didn’t blink an eye at that. And the shelves were well-stocked. I’d say 500 units of the corn muffin variety were on shelf.

(For those interested, the cost was US$0.40 for each box.)

Our secretary will be mailing out the packages by U.S. Post on Monday 5/13. I’ve heard it can take up to two weeks to receive that way around the globe, so have patience.

Just add egg and water! Enjoy!

I’ll be looking forward to posts that let me know when you received yours and then your reviews.

Best regards to all.

Mike Freeman said:

You said Howdy was one of the best in Formula 1 racing. Howdy never raced in formula 1. He did race in Formula Atlantic, a Sports Car Club of America clas and was national champion in 1978 and then went on to race at Indianapolis being picked as rookie of the year in 1979, of course he was the only rookie in the race that year. He best finish may hsve been 6th or 7th.

Richard Bird said:

Mike, I’m certainly no expert when it comes to racing, its history and terminology. So, it’s no surprise to see I didn’t get it exactly right. Thanks for the correction!

Richard Bird said:

“Jiffy is Here!” is what 10 of you around the world will be saying when your package of two arrives in coming days. All packs went out in today’s mail. Special thanks to our office manager, Terry, for enduring the queue, interrogations and customs forms at the post office! (And, don’t forget: one for you, one for a friend.)

Jeff Werner said:

I was wondering where this little cube parcel on my doorstep came from today. Was I buying DVDs I really don’t need off Amazon again? But no, it’s the Jiffy Mix from R.Bird that I forgot about!

Great packing job btw (whoever did it): now I’ll have corn muffins to eat and bubble wrap to pop.

Thanks so much, Richard. I’ll follow up in a few days with a review.

Michael Roper said:

Received mine in Australia today too… will also post photos and stuff in a few days, but Jeff is right, the bubble wrap is addictive!

Jeff Werner said:

Update: I posted an entry about the Jiffy gift.

Delicious. Thanks again!

Brenda said:

OH I like the apple ones :-)

glenn coon said:

Why does the corn muffin mix contain lard?
Is there not another - more healthy - fat that can be used instead? One with a vegetable origin.

Richard Bird said:

If you enjoyed the discourse here, there’s something new for you all:
Brand Icon Mystery #2

Heather Holmes said:

Hi Richard,
My brother linked me to your website today and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. My great-grandfather (and great-grandmother) were the inventors of “Jiffy” mixes. And yes, I’ve eaten more than my share of it over the years. In fact, most of my memories growing up are of me and my dad making brownies, etc in the kitchen. I’m so glad to hear that there are this many people who know or love our products. Thanks so much for your support!
Warm regards,
~Heather

Richard Bird said:

Thank you, Heather.

When we posted our original brand icon challenge around the Jiffy logo, we had no idea that it would generate the largest response to-date… more than 85 posts. Or, that we would ship boxes of Jiffy muffin mix around the world to 10 different countries. Amazing! It’s a testament to the power of blogging.

P.S. I always have no less than one box of Jiffy Mix at home. It’s always ready… and always good!

Richard Bird said:

I’ve just noticed that we did the right thing in the first post on this item. The visual focus was on the double quotation mark.

Can anyone here recall another brand mark example where punctuation is an integral - and protected - element?

psytce said:

Just so you know, Howdy raced in the Formula Atlantic series, not Formula 1. He was the Formula Atlantic Champion in 1978. His best finish in the Indy 500 was in 1983 (6th), which happens to be the only Indy I was able to attend….

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