The History of The John Deere Logo

The John Deere logo has undergone many changes since is inception as a trademark for steel plows. Changing with the years and growing over time the trademark has followed a parallel course to John Deere's expansion and domination of the implement market.

One very interesting thing to note in the first trade mark is that the deer is represented as an African deer which has since morphed into a North American white tail deer well known in the central northern part of the states.

With the company growing, adding new factories and manufacturing geared towards new equipment and farming, John Deere need to revise the trademark to fit the growth of the company. 1912 was the second addition to the trademark. The deer was drawn out with more detail and the slogan "The Trade Mark of Quality Made Famous by Good Implements" appeared on the bottom.

1936 was the next transition for the John Deer trademark. With the growth of the A, B, and D tractors exploding onto the market, John Deer felt that applying the trademark to the equipment would bring the company to new heights.

The new trademark would be put on each piece of equipment shipped out of the plant. A new design of the logo needed to be created to stencil on the equipment. A silhouette of a deer with legs stretched, and a border was added around the deer. The slogan, company name and place of manufacture would stay the same while being incorporated as part of the border.

John Deer hit the centennial mark of their operations in 1937. The logo update needed to be able to fit with the ever expanding line of implements and products. The deer stayed the same and the log was streamlined by removing the slogan and border.

In 1950 the John Deer trademark took on a very different look. With the company now reaching new heights of expansion and new products being released each year John Deer felt the need for a fresh look.

The deer would now represent the white tail deer known in the central part of the US. The antlers pointed upward and the deer was no longer jumping over a log. The Moline, Ill was taken out and a new bolder logo was created. A border with rounded edges was put around the deer and a new slogan, "Quality Farm Equipment" was added.

As the years went by John Deer was know by all. Contractors, farmers and families would come to know the yellow and green equipment with the jumping deer trademark as a symbol of quality.

In 1968 a new logo was designed to give the deer a sharper image and the ability to fit on more equipment and product. The antlers now show a 4 point buck with only two legs in a more upright position to represent the upward growth in the company. The deer was designed larger and the border narrowed

Over the last 163 years the John Deere Company has progressed not only in equipment but also with the trademark to keep up with the expansion of the company and products. With growth around the world, from consumer goods to farm equipment and heavy machinery and even John Deere Toys, John Deere's logo is a global strength and keeps the roots of the company firmly intact with innovation, commitment, quality and integrity.