That Name? That logo? What’s up?

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Naming your company should be an expression of your ethos, logos and pathos. It took me a couple of months to arrive at a name that captures the essence of my company, and a logo that reinforces its values.

The logo depicts Janus, a two-headed god in ancient Roman religion and mythology, looking into the past and future simultaneously. In other depictions, Janus is four-faced to demonstrate his omniscient awareness and appreciation of all that has transpired around him.

The reflective bearded sage is distinguished for wisdom, sound judgment, and experience. The dapper gentleman smoking a tobacco pipe, and donning a fedora is ready to share life’s dramas, lessons and absurdities in an appealing way with as many as possible. I’ve never been tempted to smoke a pipe. However, I have always had the strange feeling that a man smoking a pipe always looks like he knows something I don’t. Albert Einstein, one of the most influential 20th century thinkers recognizable from his disheveled look, wild hair, bushy mustache, pipe in his mouth, and the famous photo where he sticks his tongue out to reporters believed that “pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.” 

The clean shaven man represents youth’s vibrancy and creativity, and the mojo to break, build, question, experiment, learn and create. Being next to the sage, signifies that he treasures the companion of the wise.

Finally, Janus is frequently used to symbolize new undertakings such as starting a business, and progression from the past to the future such as the analog to digital revolution currently underway. Or, a transition from one vision to another such as the Gillette Adjustable Toggle Razor to the Janus Adjustable Toggle Razor.

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Søren Kierkegaard

“Deep is the well of the past. Should we not call it bottomless?” - Thomas Mann

Until next time.

Janus Razors