Erector Set (its trademark is styled as “ERECTOR”)
is a brand of a toy construction set. The set
consists of a collection of small metal beams with
regular holes for nuts, bolts, screws, mechanical
parts such as pulleys, gears, and small electric
motors. It was the first-ever American construction
toy equipped with moving parts and motors, which
made it more realistic and had a number of technical
advantages over the other similar construction
toys at that time.
This Is
ERECTOR
The brain behind the Erector Set was Alfred Carlton Gilbert (A.C. Gilbert), a toy manufacturer and Olympic gold medalist. The inspiration behind the Erector
Set came to Gilbert whilst commuting from New Haven, Connecticut to New York City. Based on his observation of the steel work along the railroad,
he had the idea of providing children materials to build whatever they want to play with.
Erector Set was the first-ever American
construction toy equipped with moving parts and motors.
Timeline
1913
A.C. Gilbert markets his
first construction set under
the name “ERECTOR”. It
was the first-ever American
(construction) toy equipped
with moving parts and motors.
1916
The company was
reorganized and changed
its name from Mysto
Manufacturing Company
to the A.C. Gilbert Company.
1920
The A.C. Gilbert Company established its radio kits.
The radio station, WCJ in
New Haven, included a
sports review program,
which was the first radio
sports program in the U.S.
1917
The A.C. Gilbert Company opened the world’s largest
toy factory at Erector Square
in New Haven.
1942
The A.C. Gilbert Company switched from toy production
to military production. During
the war, the Erector Set was used to design and test a portable bridge.
1961
A.C. Gilbert died. At his
death, he held 150 patents for his inventions. He was
praised as “The Man Who Saved Christmas.”
1962
With sales declining, the
Gilbert family sold the A.C. Gilbert Company to the
Wrather Corporation and
were no longer involved in
the company.
1967
The A.C. Gilbert Company declared bankruptcy. Gabriel Industries bought the assets.
1978
Gabriel Industries was taken
over by Columbia Broadcasting Corporation (CBS).
1984
CBS sold the Ideal Company and ERECTOR to View-Master.
2017
ERECTOR by MECCANO launched new STEAM-
focused designs.
2000
MECCANO bought the
ERECTOR brand and unified its presence on all continents.
The two brands are sold under the MECCANO brand name,
with the Erector Set being marketed as “ERECTOR by MECCANO.”
Logo Evolution
2019
Re-branding ERECTOR with its new mission
and approach
As we move towards our new brand identity, it’s necessary for us to review the history of ERECTOR’s past looks. The ERECTOR logo was first designed
in 1913 when the first Erector Set was introduced.
The logo had four phases of changes. In the first
three phases, the logo kept using a wordmark but
in different typefaces and making a connection between letters “R” and “T”. The connection
between the two letters reflected the shape of a “girder”, which was behind the original invention
story of ERECTOR. The connection also represented the idea of building, which has always been the
core of ERECTOR. The latest logo still keeps the
idea of building and adds the feeling of science and engineering, with a more “technological” and “futuristic” feeling to it.
1913–1952
The first logo of Erector Sets. The wordmark
was written in a display typeface, which gave it
a playful feeling.
1953–1956
In this period, the display wordmark was changed
into a slab serif typeface. And a drop shadow was added to give a three-dimensional feeling.
1957–1966
In another modification, ERECTOR changed its
logo again. The wordmark was written in a
bolder sans serif typeface, which looked more
solid and stronger.
2000–Present
After erector was bought by MECCANO, the logo
had a new look. The wordmark was written in a
more geometric sans serif typeface. It also conveys
the feeling of engineering.
Our New Logo
ERECTOR’s new logo contains two components:
the symbol and the wordmark. The symbol represents the idea of collaborative building, and also its 3d treatment conveys the idea of innovation and future. Moreover, we combined the initial letter “E” with stacked building bricks by utilizing the negative space.
Our new logo was
inspired by the idea
of building, which
has always been the
core of our brand.
Experiences [EX]
EX01
EX02
ERECTOR Technology &
Engineering Museum
ERECTOR Gallery
Co-branding [CO]
CO01
CO02
ERECTOR X NASA Space
Exploring Program:
Immersing in The Universe
ERECTOR X AIA
Urban Design Program:
Future Builders
Events [EV]
EV01
EV02
EV03
EV04
ERECTOR Build
Together Workshop
ERECTOR Talk
ERECTOR Summer Camp
ERECTOR Night
ERECTOR Innovation Fund
ERECTOR Prototyping
Design Space
ERECTOR.ORG
ERECTOR Material Store
S01
S02
S03
S04
Services [S]
ERECTOR Stage
for Innovation
The new ERECTOR will move beyond a toy manufacturing company towards a new era that reinforces its new mission of inspiring people to
apply their ingenuity through collaborative building.
After developing a new identity for the new ERECTOR, it is important for us to bring our brand into real life and plan how it will expand in the future.
We created a chart called “ERECTOR Stage for
Innovation” which shows the future extensions of the new ERECTOR. We identified 20 ideas from 3 different perspectives: learning, building and collaborating. The new ERECTOR will enlarge its impact by supporting personal development, promoting community building and creating social impact.
Products [P]
P01
P02
ERECTOR Connection App
ERECTOR Magazine
Environments [EN]
EN01
EN02
ERECTOR Land
ERECTOR Co-working Space
ERECTOR Innovation Lab
ERECTOR STEAM Educator
Training Program
ERECTOR Open Lab Day
ERECTOR Senior Tech Lab
ED01
ED02
ED03
ED04
Education [ED]