Out of 40,000 submissions from 60 countries, Markstein’s logo for The Oakley Group was selected for LogoLounge’s Book 13, a new edition of a bestselling book series that features the leading edge of identity design curated by an international panel of judges.

Background: OG Capital, a private equity real estate investment firm, engaged Markstein to develop a messaging platform, a connected visual identity system and a brand relaunch plan, including the development of a new website. The process resulted in changing the company’s name to The Oakley Group, the creation of language that more genuinely and authentically communicates the company’s differentiators, and a plan to engage current and prospective clients more actively.

Creative Director Paul Carstensen designed the logo selected for LogoLounge’s bestselling series. He explains his thoughtful approach to designing a company’s mark.

“Using the initial letters of a company’s name is a time-tested starting place for many logos, especially when the shapes of the letters are visually pleasing. Shapes associated with connecting the letters ‘OG’ include things like two circles; ten-speed bicycle wheels; eyeglasses (i.e., vintage spectacles with perfectly round lenses ); binoculars; LP records; globes; planets; the earth, etc.”

A bicycle suggests movement while binoculars suggest vision, and these are two key things a young company wants to be recognized for, Paul says. Furthermore, the stripes suggest lanes of a racetrack, giving the logo energy and placing emphasis on speed & power.

“The Oakley Group manages rental properties. It’s not always necessary—or even beneficial—for a company’s mark to be a literal representation of the service they provide or the product they make. The open-endedness of a less-specific mark can give a company more room to grow than a more literal mark would.”

Check out the evolution of the Oakley Group’s brand and other work through our portfolios. Congratulations to our talented design team on their incredible work!