SCOTT Sports SA is a Swiss manufacturer of bicycles, winter sports equipment, motorsports gear and sportswear, founded in 1958 by Ed Scott in the United States and now headquartered in Givisiez, Switzerland.[1][2] The company’s visual identity has undergone a significant transformation, most notably in 2010 when it replaced its pictorial landscape mark with a stylized letter S.
Design and History
In mid-May 2010, SCOTT introduced a new trademark that redesigned both the pictorial mark and the wordmark.[3] The previous logo featured a motif of a landscape or route depicted inside a rounded rectangle, which critics described as relatively meaningless upon closer inspection.[3] The new mark eliminated pictorial elements entirely and instead incorporated a stylized initial letter S.[3]
The 2010 redesign also changed the color palette from a very light yellow to an orange tone.[3] According to MTB-News, the orange was applied to the bike division specifically, while other divisions each adopted their own color, with motorsport using a different shade.[4]
A trademark application filed by Scott USA Limited in March 2010 describes the mark as consisting of the term “SCOTT” in bold lettering with a design element to the left shaped like the letter S.[5] The company did not publicly explain the reasons behind the logo change at the time, remaining silent in press releases and on its Facebook page.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
Design commentary on the new mark noted that the stylized S is formed through the duplication, rotation and shifting of a single element, with the negative space creating the letterform.[3] The new wordmark was set in a new typeface that conveyed the same themes as before, namely dynamism, speed and technology.[3]
Typography and Design
The 2010 wordmark was set in a newly designed typeface, though design critics noted that the letterforms displayed greater contrast in stroke weight, with the horizontal strokes appearing too thin, particularly breaking in the S and C characters.[3] The previous wordmark was considered more balanced and stable in comparison.[3]
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