Phoenix Studios
Marking Time: A brief human history of mark making
1st March
/
5 min.
Since the earliest human settlements, we have been leaving marks. On cave walls, in clay, carved into stone, stitched into sails, pressed into parchment, or sprayed onto concrete — mark making is one of the oldest and most persistent human instincts.
Today, we might call it branding.
But its origins stretch back to the very roots of humanity.
The Origins: Presence & reputation
Long before alphabets or logos, humans used symbols to communicate identity, territory, and belief. From the limestone caves of Lascaux in France to the rock shelters of El Castillo in Spain, early humans left their mark — not merely to decorate, but to declare: we were here. Where handprints and animal forms told stories of survival, ancestry, and ritual. These were not just pictures; they were assertions of presence — early visual signatures.
Fast forward to c.3,100 BC and the Sumerians began imprinting clay tablets with pictograms. This was the beginning of written language and storytelling, and also the start of formalised marks of ownership and transaction. The clay seal, pressed with authority, was an early branding method.
In Ancient Rome, shopfronts bore painted signage and graffiti to denote ownership and goods. A tavern, a bakery, a blacksmith: each with its own shorthand mark to distinguish and entice. Ancient Roman merchants used distinct marks on products like fish sauce to establish trust and distinguish their goods from competitors. These early forms of branding delivered recognition and reputation—ideas that remain key today.
Early Modern Period to Enlightenment: Literacy & identity
By the 16th century, it might be hard to believe that John Shakespeare (father of William - often regarded as the greatest writer in the English language) trading wool in Stratford-upon-Avon would sign his name with an 'X' rather than his name. However it was accepted practice and not necessarily down to the literacy rates, around 20-30% at the time, and lower for females.
The 18th and 19th centuries saw literacy rates begin to grow amongst the general population and working classes. During this age of sail and early globalisation, crews charged with mutiny on naval vessels signed their confessions 'round robin' (see image below), to avoid ringleaders being identified.
Since the earliest human settlements, we have been leaving marks. On cave walls, in clay, carved into stone, stitched into sails, pressed into parchment, or sprayed onto concrete — mark making is one of the oldest and most persistent human instincts.
Today, we might call it branding.
But its origins stretch back to the very roots of humanity.
The Origins: Presence & reputation
Long before alphabets or logos, humans used symbols to communicate identity, territory, and belief. From the limestone caves of Lascaux in France to the rock shelters of El Castillo in Spain, early humans left their mark — not merely to decorate, but to declare: we were here. Where handprints and animal forms told stories of survival, ancestry, and ritual. These were not just pictures; they were assertions of presence — early visual signatures.
Fast forward to c.3,100 BC and the Sumerians began imprinting clay tablets with pictograms. This was the beginning of written language and storytelling, and also the start of formalised marks of ownership and transaction. The clay seal, pressed with authority, was an early branding method.
In Ancient Rome, shopfronts bore painted signage and graffiti to denote ownership and goods. A tavern, a bakery, a blacksmith: each with its own shorthand mark to distinguish and entice. Ancient Roman merchants used distinct marks on products like fish sauce to establish trust and distinguish their goods from competitors. These early forms of branding delivered recognition and reputation—ideas that remain key today.
Early Modern Period to Enlightenment: Literacy & identity
By the 16th century, it might be hard to believe that John Shakespeare (father of William - often regarded as the greatest writer in the English language) trading wool in Stratford-upon-Avon would sign his name with an 'X' rather than his name. However it was accepted practice and not necessarily down to the literacy rates, around 20-30% at the time, and lower for females.
The 18th and 19th centuries saw literacy rates begin to grow amongst the general population and working classes. During this age of sail and early globalisation, crews charged with mutiny on naval vessels signed their confessions 'round robin' (see image below), to avoid ringleaders being identified.
Since the earliest human settlements, we have been leaving marks. On cave walls, in clay, carved into stone, stitched into sails, pressed into parchment, or sprayed onto concrete — mark making is one of the oldest and most persistent human instincts.
Today, we might call it branding.
But its origins stretch back to the very roots of humanity.
The Origins: Presence & reputation
Long before alphabets or logos, humans used symbols to communicate identity, territory, and belief. From the limestone caves of Lascaux in France to the rock shelters of El Castillo in Spain, early humans left their mark — not merely to decorate, but to declare: we were here. Where handprints and animal forms told stories of survival, ancestry, and ritual. These were not just pictures; they were assertions of presence — early visual signatures.
Fast forward to c.3,100 BC and the Sumerians began imprinting clay tablets with pictograms. This was the beginning of written language and storytelling, and also the start of formalised marks of ownership and transaction. The clay seal, pressed with authority, was an early branding method.
In Ancient Rome, shopfronts bore painted signage and graffiti to denote ownership and goods. A tavern, a bakery, a blacksmith: each with its own shorthand mark to distinguish and entice. Ancient Roman merchants used distinct marks on products like fish sauce to establish trust and distinguish their goods from competitors. These early forms of branding delivered recognition and reputation—ideas that remain key today.
Early Modern Period to Enlightenment: Literacy & identity
By the 16th century, it might be hard to believe that John Shakespeare (father of William - often regarded as the greatest writer in the English language) trading wool in Stratford-upon-Avon would sign his name with an 'X' rather than his name. However it was accepted practice and not necessarily down to the literacy rates, around 20-30% at the time, and lower for females.
The 18th and 19th centuries saw literacy rates begin to grow amongst the general population and working classes. During this age of sail and early globalisation, crews charged with mutiny on naval vessels signed their confessions 'round robin' (see image below), to avoid ringleaders being identified.
The Industrial Age: Marks of production and trust
The Industrial Revolution transformed the world — and the concept of mark making with it. For the first time, goods were made not by a local craftsman, but by anonymous manufacturers far from home. Marks were no longer just personal signatures; they became crucial tools of provenance and trust.
Trademarks and standardised packaging emerged to protect consumers from fraud and to guarantee quality. A familiar mark reassured a buyer that a bar of soap bought in Manchester was the same as the one sold in London. Marks became a promise of safety, consistency and dependability in a rapidly changing world.
The mark moved on from the hands of the maker to the shelves of the marketplace — from the craftsman’s workshop to the factory warehouse, from the individual artisan to the mass produced product. Marks became trademarks.
The Rise of Consumerism: Emotion and desire
By the early 20th century, mark making had evolved beyond merely evoking trust. It began to tap into something deeper: the human hunger for meaning, identity, and aspiration.
In a world of abundance, choice was no longer about necessity — it was about desire. Marks identified deeper stories, offering symbols of status, belonging, and dreams fulfilled. A car was no longer just a vehicle; it was freedom. A soft drink was no longer just refreshment; it was happiness in a bottle.
The mark, once practical, became emotional — a shortcut to feelings, memories, and self-expression. These associations, made in the human mind, begun to create enormous intangible value for business, becoming assets that required protection and management. Branding and brand management became a strategic commercial pursuit, marks became what we might term today 'distinctive assets'; logo's, taglines, colours, images, sounds and symbols.
Digital Revolution: Beyond borders
The arrival of the Internet shattered old certainties. Brands could no longer control the conversation; they had to join it.
Connectivity turned every consumer into a creator, every opinion into a broadcast. 'Marks' had to live across screens, adapt to new formats, and survive the scrutiny of a global audience.
In this borderless world, the meaning of a mark became fluid — shaped as much by communities and culture as by the companies behind them.
Flexibility, responsiveness, authenticity: these became the new imperatives. The mark, once carved into stone or printed on a crate, now lived in pixels — ever-evolving, yet anchored by purpose and deepened by orchestrated experiences. At Phoenix Studios, we see branding not as invention, but as continuation. We are mark makers in a modern era, drawing on centuries of craft, culture, and communication to create brands that resonate today and last into tomorrow.
From the first painted stone to the latest pixel-perfect logo, the mark has always mattered. Because behind every mark is a message: We are here. We believe. We stand for something.
And that, in essence, is brand.
The Industrial Age: Marks of production and trust
The Industrial Revolution transformed the world — and the concept of mark making with it. For the first time, goods were made not by a local craftsman, but by anonymous manufacturers far from home. Marks were no longer just personal signatures; they became crucial tools of provenance and trust.
Trademarks and standardised packaging emerged to protect consumers from fraud and to guarantee quality. A familiar mark reassured a buyer that a bar of soap bought in Manchester was the same as the one sold in London. Marks became a promise of safety, consistency and dependability in a rapidly changing world.
The mark moved on from the hands of the maker to the shelves of the marketplace — from the craftsman’s workshop to the factory warehouse, from the individual artisan to the mass produced product. Marks became trademarks.
The Rise of Consumerism: Emotion and desire
By the early 20th century, mark making had evolved beyond merely evoking trust. It began to tap into something deeper: the human hunger for meaning, identity, and aspiration.
In a world of abundance, choice was no longer about necessity — it was about desire. Marks identified deeper stories, offering symbols of status, belonging, and dreams fulfilled. A car was no longer just a vehicle; it was freedom. A soft drink was no longer just refreshment; it was happiness in a bottle.
The mark, once practical, became emotional — a shortcut to feelings, memories, and self-expression. These associations, made in the human mind, begun to create enormous intangible value for business, becoming assets that required protection and management. Branding and brand management became a strategic commercial pursuit, marks became what we might term today 'distinctive assets'; logo's, taglines, colours, images, sounds and symbols.
Digital Revolution: Beyond borders
The arrival of the Internet shattered old certainties. Brands could no longer control the conversation; they had to join it.
Connectivity turned every consumer into a creator, every opinion into a broadcast. 'Marks' had to live across screens, adapt to new formats, and survive the scrutiny of a global audience.
In this borderless world, the meaning of a mark became fluid — shaped as much by communities and culture as by the companies behind them.
Flexibility, responsiveness, authenticity: these became the new imperatives. The mark, once carved into stone or printed on a crate, now lived in pixels — ever-evolving, yet anchored by purpose and deepened by orchestrated experiences. At Phoenix Studios, we see branding not as invention, but as continuation. We are mark makers in a modern era, drawing on centuries of craft, culture, and communication to create brands that resonate today and last into tomorrow.
From the first painted stone to the latest pixel-perfect logo, the mark has always mattered. Because behind every mark is a message: We are here. We believe. We stand for something.
And that, in essence, is brand.
The Industrial Age: Marks of production and trust
The Industrial Revolution transformed the world — and the concept of mark making with it. For the first time, goods were made not by a local craftsman, but by anonymous manufacturers far from home. Marks were no longer just personal signatures; they became crucial tools of provenance and trust.
Trademarks and standardised packaging emerged to protect consumers from fraud and to guarantee quality. A familiar mark reassured a buyer that a bar of soap bought in Manchester was the same as the one sold in London. Marks became a promise of safety, consistency and dependability in a rapidly changing world.
The mark moved on from the hands of the maker to the shelves of the marketplace — from the craftsman’s workshop to the factory warehouse, from the individual artisan to the mass produced product. Marks became trademarks.
The Rise of Consumerism: Emotion and desire
By the early 20th century, mark making had evolved beyond merely evoking trust. It began to tap into something deeper: the human hunger for meaning, identity, and aspiration.
In a world of abundance, choice was no longer about necessity — it was about desire. Marks identified deeper stories, offering symbols of status, belonging, and dreams fulfilled. A car was no longer just a vehicle; it was freedom. A soft drink was no longer just refreshment; it was happiness in a bottle.
The mark, once practical, became emotional — a shortcut to feelings, memories, and self-expression. These associations, made in the human mind, begun to create enormous intangible value for business, becoming assets that required protection and management. Branding and brand management became a strategic commercial pursuit, marks became what we might term today 'distinctive assets'; logo's, taglines, colours, images, sounds and symbols.
Digital Revolution: Beyond borders
The arrival of the Internet shattered old certainties. Brands could no longer control the conversation; they had to join it.
Connectivity turned every consumer into a creator, every opinion into a broadcast. 'Marks' had to live across screens, adapt to new formats, and survive the scrutiny of a global audience.
In this borderless world, the meaning of a mark became fluid — shaped as much by communities and culture as by the companies behind them.
Flexibility, responsiveness, authenticity: these became the new imperatives. The mark, once carved into stone or printed on a crate, now lived in pixels — ever-evolving, yet anchored by purpose and deepened by orchestrated experiences. At Phoenix Studios, we see branding not as invention, but as continuation. We are mark makers in a modern era, drawing on centuries of craft, culture, and communication to create brands that resonate today and last into tomorrow.
From the first painted stone to the latest pixel-perfect logo, the mark has always mattered. Because behind every mark is a message: We are here. We believe. We stand for something.
And that, in essence, is brand.
Jonny Westcar, Partner
