Circular Logos, Past and Present

I recently saw these two logos while going about my business. Each one is a variation on the "geometric letter shape(s) inside a circle" theme, even though their designs were done at least 50 year apart.


This logo is relatively recent. I've never heard of the company, but I gather it's an international lab business that does "materials testing, product qualification testing and failure analysis."

The logo communicates the company's scientific purpose without visual reference to any of the usual lab paraphernalia. It's rational but also active because of the continuing motion of the circle.


The Great American logo, on the other hand, was on a box containing a soldering iron. It has a naive quality that I like, making me think of tool companies from before the age of integrated branding.

I don't care for the addition of the black type, I admit. Seems like they should have either allowed the small white letters to do the job of spelling out the name, or gotten rid of the small letters and just had the larger letters... Which should be in blue, and probably in a different typeface.

But I still like the clunkiness of it. It's huggable. For a soldering iron company.