40 Years of Pelican Worldwide
The Pelican brand name wasn’t introduced until the late 90s, early 00s. Founded under John van de Moosdijk, the business grew from the initial founding of MIG International to what it is today. But how did we get there?
John van de Moosdijk’s entrepreneurial journey in the tank industry was marked by creativity, vision, and a personal touch. Drawing inspiration from his surroundings, he infused the identity of several of his companies with subtle references to the natural world, most notably birds. This added character to his branding, it was his business acumen and innovative approach that truly defined his legacy in the industry.
The concept behind the original logo
Back in the early 2000s, the company was rapidly growing, establishing new global entities and developing parts to meet the market demand and the logo needed to reinforce this vision. The use of a pelican bird became the natural choice. The simple fine line with the company name was the style choice of that period. The two brackets represent the globe and that Pelican was a global organisation, operating regionally to fulfil both the tank container and road tanker industries respectively.
Modernisation & the introduction of the ‘part of it’
With a new senior leadership team comes a wealth of outside knowledge, a new perspective and a drive to elevate the company to the next level. Redefining the brand and the communication of the brand, in the new boom of the digital age, became essential.
Modernisation of the brand to bring it into the 21st century and give the brand a new lease of life within the generational change saw the original pelican bird remastered to what it is today. The fine line drawing was replaced with the resonating pelican bird with bolder curves and scalable attributes. It is now used as a design style asset and has become an iconic piece within the brand. The original brackets were kept but could be subject to another brand evolution as the company evolves and grows in strength. There was a new font, icon library and style established.
Furthermore, the brand underwent a significant evolution with the introduction of a new brand voice, encapsulated in the phrase ‘part of it’. This concept was carefully developed to reinforce Pelican’s position as a truly customer-centric brand. It marked a strategic shift, not just from trading products, but toward creating and delivering the specific parts that the market demands, with a particular focus on what our customers need.
This transition reflects how we work towards custom-made solutions to technical problems faced, in turn supporting growth. By actively listening and responding to the evolving requirements of individual companies, Pelican positions itself not just as a supplier, but as an essential partner – part of your performance, part of your warehouse, and part of efficiency.
So not only are we celebrating 40 years of our company history, but we are also celebrating 20 years of the Pelican Worldwide Brand.
Read more in our 40th year magazine
