Killer logo wanted for excavation contractor

R.D. Martineau Specialty Landscape Excavation

RMdigs.com

We are a small, highly skilled, specialty excavation service. While we will do foundation and other digging, hauling, dumping, and typical title5 septic work, we specialize in working with landscapers and landscape designers and architects to transform properties both residential and commercial with attention to detail at very reasonable cost.

I love pantone. easiest for me to remember and I have a PMS value book. But it isn't essential. Just do what you want. we can convert and choose PMS later.

I am art directing this job for a friend who has worked at my own property. I am (with my staff are) a longtime art director/television commercial director for big ad agencies. I love working with 99 designs designers because I am able to really give a TON of feedback on worthy designs, often helping to improve YOUR skills while also getting a load of really diverse design concepts.

I cannot find it in our own history here which tells me my uncle set up his own account but I art directed a nice logo for Ralph H. Jensen duck calls (I uploaded the designs above) which are now being sold at Orvis. I love that project because of how hard people worked and how the work was every bit as good as work in the big agencies we have worked for.

In this case I am opting for a bronze package because I can be clear about what he wants and I think, if the designer has strong layout and typographic skills, he or she will get to a winning design without too much headache.
Bob , my buddy, is a pretty straight forward guy. He likes the Lance Johnson Excavating logo we found here at 99d. https://99designs.com/profiles/4128…gns/322098.

But I am only warm to that one. I would rather see something more cohesive in it's combined treatment of the logo and type. And I think the typography has a long way to go.

If you look at any of the projects that we have done and try to copy any of their style you will not be chosen. These contests were for clients and reflect CLIENT taste. My job is to help shape the logo to match that taste.

Beyond that though I am open to various approaches. As long as the designs are MASCULINE yet CURRENT (not too much flash!) It must also work well in just black/white as well as color, and the typefaces and logo recognition must be clear.

The words that are most important are Martineau and Excavation. R.M can be smaller. So can specialty (and specialty should probably have cursive or some other variation on font treatment). Landscape is not as critical either although I would prioritize LANDSCAPE over Specialty in size and prominence) SO IF YOU DRIVE BY FAST and see the sign you can at least catch MARTINEAU landscape EXCAVATION

I also want the URL featured. RMdigs.com Like that: CAPS on RM lowercase on digs.

Please do not just grab clip art of an excavator. Or a bucket. Those things are fine to use but I don't want them to feel like pasted onto a text logo.

As you can see, most of the logos I have selected vary in their style. Some are very simple. Some are more detailed. some modern some classic. Etc. In other words, good logos are what speak to me. Period. In every brief I essentially state that it is most important to create a strong typographical connection with the viewer and that the logo must fit the industry. In this case, it is about as masculine as they get, however, BOB is a specialty landscape contractor so his logo treatment should feature SOME degree of softness. So to be EXTRA clear, in the style attributes, unless the slider is weighted in a particular direction, I am stating that I am OPEN to ANY end of the spectrum and not that I WANT a logo that is right down the middle.

Please email if you have questions. I will be very involved in this process and will really help you to maximize your time investment both with feedback and potentially $$.

Thank you so much in advance for your time and effort. I really appreciate how much you designers are willing to contribute largely for your own skill improvement's sake. This is not always easy. But I will give you the attention you deserve. This I can promise you.

BADGE logos are good, or at least logos that have the feel of a badge where the design and typeface form a strong block. For example, GRIZZLY inc. above. I have gone through and selected a bunch of other logos in the construction category that speak to me or that speak to Bob and me both.

HERE'S A PHOTO ALBUM OF BOB and ONE OF HIS EXCAVATORS
https://goo.gl/photos/xX7oAvRtnnGTu6QR8

-Chad