Badge of Honor
The brothers behind Floyd’s 99 Barbershop agree that when it comes to brand logos, there’s more than meets the eye.
In February 2001, Bill, Paul and Rob O’Brien founded Floyd’s 99 Barbershop in downtown Denver with the intention of pairing old-school hairdressing with modern style. From the outset the O’Briens wanted to reinvent how barbershops are perceived, so they developed a brand logo to help the shop stand apart. They agreed one of their goals was to “protect” clients from receiving a “bad” haircut, and chose to use a badge in the logo design to reinforce this pledge.
From 2001 to 2006 the original Floyd’s 99 logo was used with an inlay of Denver and Los Angeles, says Tyler Rathjen, director of integrated marketing. “From a trademark standpoint, the inlay had to be given up in order to protect the mark,” he says. Once the city inlays were removed, the badge concept came into the picture.
In total there were between 25 and 40 concepts presented to the founders, all with a black and white color scheme, which was meant to set the tone for the experience customers could expect: direct and to the point. The O’Briens created similar logos for Floyd’s 99 Men’s Grooming and Floyd’s 99 Academy.
Today you can find the Floyd’s 99 Barbershop logo in more than 80 barbershop windows in 12 states. The barbershop credits much of its success to consistency. From the service a client receives to the product he purchases, the entire experience reflects the brand. —K.M.