WHAT'S IN A NAME........
Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the distinctive Moxie logo.
Before 1907, Moxie Nerve Food was identified a number of ways.
The words "Moxie" and "Moxie Nerve Food" were registered marks
with the Patent Office early on, but there was no "standard" lettering style....
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| From 1884 through the early 1900's, fonts varied from simple to quite ornate...block letters or some "stylish" rendering of the graphic artist's choice. | ||
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| Sometime in the 1905 timeframe, the first attempt was made to standardize on a logo...one that we now call the Moxie "FOXTAIL." | ||
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| Many of us liked this version...so much so that
we used it as a model for our present NEMC logo.
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| Sometime in 1907, the now-familiar
rendering of the Moxie logo, with the sweeping crossbar on the
"X", was devised.
The version on the left just preceded the final version on the right....the one which made it as a registered trade mark. |
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| From 1907 onward, this new logo/trademark was used on labels and and all other Moxie advertising: | ||
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<--- 1906 and before
1907 and after ---> (Note: the "Moxie Nerve Food Co." became just the "Moxie Co." after approximately 1910.)
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| Examples of labels used up through mid-century (dates approximate): | ||
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| After WWII, the Moxie logo was standardized even further, and
has been used in this
format (with some variations) ever since.
This format, with the "open" lettering is also a registered trademark: |
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Shown below are some of the variations used from the '50's through the '70's or so. | |
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| Now the fun part: When is moxie Moxie, and when is it not Moxie?? | ||
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Yes, folks....all these "products" are (or were) officially sanctioned by the Moxie powers-to-be at some point. |
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(except the one above, thank goodness!) |
| Now we come to the part where
Moxie (the drink) has a problem which Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, or
Orange Crush never had to deal with.....at least to the extent that Moxie
did.....
Since Moxie early on did such a good job promoting itself as a "Nerve Food" and THE beverage to complement the "strenuous life", the word "moxie" entered the English language as being synonymous with guts, vim, vigor, and an indomitable spirit. This was all well and good, but as the popularity of the beverage diminished over time, other folks picked up on this "new word" and somehow were able to use it to describe all kinds of stuff, and even had the "moxie" to use it as their own registered trade mark (which was apparently kosher, as long as they didn't use it to describe a beverage-related product). Confused? Okay gang, let's add to the confusion: |
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Some examples of "moxie" designations which seem to come uncomfortably close to the Moxie (beverage) logo we are used to. Apparently, at least at the time, the Moxie powers-to-be either permitted these to happen, and/or let them slide without a big fight.... |
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| Some other examples of "moxie" usage which may tend to boggle the mind: | ||
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Whatever..... Restaurants, books, coffee, wine, golf clubs, PR firms, guns, design studios, scooters, movies, cosmetics, games, records, and a magazine for the woman who dares......guess they all think they "got moxie!" Well maybe so, but we got Moxie!! ...with a brand new swirl! ----------> The "real thing" (oops....didn't somebody else use that line?). |
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