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30 Years of the Browning Buckmark

It's hard to think about Browning without thinking about the Browning Buckmark. This trademark of the company is, today, an integral part of their logo and their identity. The Browning Buckmark is celebrating thirty years in play during 2008, so it's an appropriate time to take a look at its origins and its transformations.

The Browning Buckmark Begins

The Buckmark logo was first designed in the fall of 1977 by Don Bailey. He was the art director at the time and he first introduced this logo in Browning literature and advertising in 1978 when Browning had its Browning Centennial celebrations. Prior to this time, there was a directive in the company that the new art director should create an insignia that they could embroider on Browning clothing. The company was worried about upcoming firearms legislation and wanted to branch out into non-gun related products. They were focusing on their clothing lines, and hoped to create a catchy insignia, as Izod had done with their alligator.

Bailey's Design

In order to make the insignia well known, the company decided that they would need to use this new insignia on all of their products. Bailey's design was that of an abstract mule deer that soon became known as the Buckmark. He felt that this symbol was accepted across hunting communities as a symbol for the hunt. While there was some back and forth discussion at first, the company executives finally reached a consensus that they would use this symbol.

The Buckmark is Born

The Buckmark first appeared on the cover of the 1978 Centennial catalog. It also appeared inside the catalog as a small punctuation technique at the end of major text breaks. The Browning Buckmark first appeared on the Browning clothing line in 1979. Not all products carried it in the beginning because of leftover inventory, but eventually it was phased into all product packaging and all printed materials for Browning.

The Buckmark Today

Thirty years after its first use, the Buckmark has become synonym with Browning. It now stands for the quality, workmanship and commitment of the Browning company. It is displayed on the side of cars, on clothing, on guns and on other equipment by hunters, shooters and outdoorsmen. There is even a "Show us your Buckmark" contest today, allowing people to proudly show off their stickers and other Buckmark logos.