When the Millers Falls Company introduced its new line of planes in 1929, it needed a way to differentiate its products from others already on the market. The identity problem was compounded by the fact that all of the new models were knock-offs of existing Stanley production. The company chose to build product identity by concentrating its publicity on the new line's flagship tools—the bench planes.

The planes were developed with an eye to creating an instantly identifiable appearance that would set them apart from the competition. The frogs were painted with a bright red enamel that contrasted sharply with the planes' black enameled beds. (Frog incorrectly colored black in this illustration.) The company adopted the use of a highly polished nickel plating for the lever caps of its premium bench planes and displayed the company name on them surrounded by bright red paint.