The circuit breaker maker

Gérard Guerre and Technes' 1966 logo for Merlin Gerin.

Merlin et Gerin was a circuit breaker manufacturer founded in 1920 by P.L. Merlin and G. Gerin and headquartered in the French city of Grenoble. Between 1920 and 1960 the company grew, expanding its manufacturing capabilities to include a variety of electrical products such as transformers, automatic regulators, distributors and linear motors. It operated eight factories and these maintained their own individual public relations activities.

In 1960 design studio Technes was retained by Merlin et Gerin to develop a new visual communication program that would align the publicity and visual identity of the factories and products, with the intention of increasing the visibility of the business. Although it was widely advertised in technical magazines, it was little known.

The design program began with a name change, moving from Merlin et Gerin to just "Merlin Gerin" which the intention of simplifying and making communication easier. A new set of visual elements were then developed to improve the overall outward image of the company. This new image should give the public the impression of a ‘young’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘steadfast’ company.

Continue reading to see how the logo was constructed and applied. And discover how colour introduced a more youthful character and helped separate a growing number of products.