How ADT’s Iconic Yard Sign and Logo Came to Be

It doesn’t matter whether you’re walking your dog in Boca Raton, going for a bike ride in Chicago or going for a run in San Diego – walking down neighborhood streets, you’ll probably spot an iconic ADT yard sign. With more than 7 million signs distributed across America, we at ADT feel immense pride when we see one of our blue octagon yard signs, because it means another home is being protected by the leader in the home security business, giving our customers greater peace of mind.

How Yard Signs Came to Be

The ADT yard signs weren’t always the neighborhood staple they are today. When ADT – or American District Telegraph – started out as a commercial and government security company 146 years ago, labels and stickers on doors and windows were the norm. You could walk down Main Street in any town or into an office building and on the window see a marker noting who was protecting the business.

Eventually, people realized they wanted to protect their homes and families the same way they were protecting their businesses, and the yard sign idea came to life. The yard sign sits on a lawn as a symbol of security and protection. It is so synonymous with safety that we’ve even seen people try to buy extra signs for their homes, signaling that their house has an added layer of protection!

About That Iconic Blue Octagon

And while we didn’t create yard signs or window stickers, we like to think we really developed a household brand through both of those items. Today, 97% of Americans recognize the ADT logo! We’ve anecdotally heard stories about kids who excitedly point out the ADT yard signs to their parents on walks, we’ve seen Instagrams of gardens with an ADT sign nestled in amongst the flowers and we’ve heard of people who excitedly ask their ADT tech to let them hammer in their lawn sign in a kind of “ceremony.” We’ve become a staple in communities and it’s something of which we’re incredibly proud.

Most yard signs are typically a shield or circle, but ADT wanted to stand out, so we created what is now our iconic blue octagon. The blue color, safe and soothing, represents our relationship with first responders, who work closely with our  our 24/7 monitoring professionals to help keep our customers safe. The octagon shape resembles a stop sign, signaling to home intruders or thieves that ADT is here to assist in stopping crime and protecting the home.

The evolution of the ADT logo

All this to say: We’re grateful to be a staple in neighborhoods across the country. Seeing our stickers in windows and our signs in front yards means more to us than simply saying we are America's #1 security company. It means we are bringing a feeling of security and peace of mind to people, helping them live their lives with far less worry about their loved ones’ safety.

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