Who designed Puma’s leaping-cat logo in 1967?

Lutz Backes designed Puma’s leaping-cat logo in 1967.

The logo was created for the German sportswear company Puma, which had been founded in 1948 by Rudolf Dassler. Backes’s design showed a puma springing through a capital letter D, linking the animal to the founder’s surname while giving the mark a strong sense of speed and movement.

Puma later simplified the presentation of the mark, and the leaping cat became recognizable even without the letter D or the full company name. It is often called the “Puma Cat” or “Leaping Cat” logo.

A common mix-up is to credit Rudolf Dassler with designing the symbol because he founded Puma. Dassler chose the company name and established the brand, but Lutz Backes is credited with designing the 1967 logo. The animal is a puma, not a leopard or cheetah.