We're all familiar with the logo: two horses each pulling a pair of pants to prove its strength. This logo is that of Levi's, the world's most famous jeans brand. But Levi's wasn't the first to come up with this idea. Here's the proof.
During the Gold Rush, one the biggest challenges jeans manufacturers were faced with was creating the most resistant clothing possible. Since TV advertising was not a thing yet, it was essential to show, in one graphic, that your fabric was stronger than any other. The battle to be the most durable fabric was lead by advertising campaigns with slogans and visual representations that showed a garment that could endure almost anything. And here came the idea of the “Tug-O-War logo”…
Sweet-Orr
Established in 1871 in Wappinger Falls, NY, Sweet-Orr is the first brand to ever promote the durability of its jeans. Sweet-Orr drew inspiration from the game of "Tug-O-War" to create its logo in 1880, simply replacing the rope with denim pants. The message was clear: "even if your pants are pulled by six people, they won't be damaged". The legend says that, in order to promote the company, Sweet-Orr actually organized a “jean-tug-o-war” in New York to prove the durability of its products to workingmen.
Levi Strauss & Co
Six years after Sweet-Orr, Levi’s created its own logo based upon the durability of its goods. The brand from San Francisco, who registered a patent for the rivet (thank you Jacob Davis), created a logo displaying a pair of jeans which pockets are being pulled on both sides by horses. This logo gives Levi’s its nickname: the “Two Horse Brand”. Such a marketing breakthrough gave the brand national and international recognition.
The Boss
The Boss was founded in 1890 by Morris Cohn & Company, making it the very first workwear brand in Los Angeles, even before Stronghold. This information is confirmed by an advertisement in The Los Angeles Times of May 17, 1891, stating that M. Cohn & Co. were "manufacturers of The Boss Riveted Overalls". Right from the brand's foundation, the chosen logo was four elephants trying to rip open a pair of jeans. Even today, it remains one of the most emblematic logos of American workwear.
Never-Rip Overalls
Emigrating from England, John Scowcroft settled in Ogden, Utah, in 1880 and converted to Mormonism. He started out as a baker and confectioner, before expanding into clothing and dry goods. It's not known exactly when John Scowcroft began making "Never Rip Overalls", but from newspaper clippings of the time, it would appear to have been in the early 1910s. And since sturdiness and durability were big selling points back then, the brand was called "Never Rip", adding an equally telling logo to its already equivocal name.
Can’t Bust Em
The brand produced by Heinemann & Co. is mostly famous for its rooster logo, its emblem since the 1920s. But in 1889, Can’t Bust Em’s first logo was an image of four men trying to rip apart a pair of jeans. Needless to say, the brand’s name leaves no secret of the supposed durability of its products: “You can’t bust them.”
The Empire
John F. Eagan and Co. founded The Empire workwear brand in the early 1880s in Wappinger Falls, the same town where Sweet-Orr was founded. Surfing on the popularity of the Tug-O-War logo, The Empire chose the same logo as Levi's, namely two horses and riders pulling a pair of jeans. But there's no proof that this logo didn't predate that of Levi's...
Harrison & Rudd
Founded in 1876 in Evansville, Indiana, Harrison & Rudd also chose the Tug-O-War logo to promote its trousers. Except that J.B. Harrison and W.I.Rudd didn't choose horses or elephants, but... two dogs, apparently named Trade and Mark. Good boys !
William Meyers & Co.
In the 1880s, William Meyers & Co., a small company from Philadelphia, also used a logo including two horses. But it was slightly different than Levi’s : in fact, in this logo, the horses were trying to rip a pair of jeans… with their teeth.
Tiger Overalls
What about something more frightening like two tigers ? This was the logo for Tiger Overalls, a company founded by J.M Robinson, Norton & Co in Louisville, KY, in the 1910s. In season 11, episode 13 of the reality-show American Pickers, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz found a Tiger Brand brass patch showing the two tigers fighting for a pair of jeans.
BeWeBe
The "Tug-O-War" logo quickly spread beyond the borders of the United States and even crossed the Atlantic. European workwear brands were quick to use it to promote their products. Such is the case of Swedish brand BeWeBe, which used a coverall that withstands the power of two horses as its logo. Many thanks to Niklas Betan for sharing this original 1932 catalog with us.
