Novelec is a certification mark that was registered in the United States in 1969 by the Quebec Electrical League, a trade organization based in Montreal. The mark was applied to all-electric houses and other buildings that used electricity as their sole source of energy for all thermal, refrigerating, lighting, electronic and mechanical functions.[1]
Design and History
The Novelec trademark application was filed on March 10, 1969, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The mark was owned by the Quebec Electrical League of Montreal, Quebec. The federal status of the trademark filing is listed as expired as of November 4, 1992.[1]
In Quebec, the Novelec name was associated with promotional campaigns for all-electric homes during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Archival photographs document the inauguration of “Maison Novelec” (Novelec House) homes in 1971 as part of the Semaine de l’électricité (Electricity Week), a promotional event held in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec.[2][3]
Academic analysis of Hydro-Québec’s promotional discourse from 1964 to 1997 references the “maison Novelec” as a consumer good marketed to demonstrate access to modern, guaranteed-comfort technology, with promotional materials featuring a “Novelec woman” figure in period advertising.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Novelec name is a portmanteau combining “nov” (suggesting new or innovation) with “elec,” a direct reference to electricity. The certification mark statement confirms that the mark certified that houses and buildings to which it was applied used electricity as the sole source of energy for all thermal, frigorific, luminous, electronic and mechanical functions.[1]
No designer attribution, specific visual description, or documented color specifications for the Novelec mark have been verified in available sources. The claim that Laurent Marquart created the logo in 1967 cannot be confirmed by the research materials located.
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
