At Finis Studio, we work with brands every day. But where did this concept actually come from?

The origin is not completely clear, but some say the story starts 6,000 years ago in Ancient Egypt. Cattle owners needed a way to identify their animals when herds grazed together, so they burned distinctive symbols into their hides. The word “brand” comes from the Old Norse “brandr”, meaning a piece of burning wood.

What began as practical property marking evolved into something much deeper. By Roman times, these burned symbols weren’t just about ownership, they carried meaning about quality and reputation. A recognizable mark meant you could trust what you were buying.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞

Fast forward through centuries of empire-building, and the practice spread globally. The industrial revolution brought metal branding irons, making marks more precise and permanent.

The real transformation happened in the early 1900s with plastic packaging. Suddenly, companies needed to distinguish their products on crowded store shelves. They borrowed the ranchers’ term, calling their package designs “brands.”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Television advertising after World War II changed everything. Brands stopped being just product identifiers and became representations of values, lifestyles, and aspirations. The rise of the internet and targeted marketing made this even more sophisticated.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲

That ancient need to create trust through consistent, recognizable marks, remains the foundation of what we do. Whether it’s a burned symbol on cattle or a carefully crafted logo system, brands still serve the same fundamental purpose: building recognition and trust.

The tools have evolved from hot iron to digital design, but the core principle hasn’t changed.

Every brand is still asking the same question those Egyptian ranchers asked: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭?