Logos look like logos that look like logos
... What did you find? What did you think?
Grand Brand Theft
Our good buddy Susan Kirkland worte this insightful article which deserves to be read... or read again!
There it is, that new car you've wanted for quite a while, parked right there in your driveway. A guy comes over and says, "Man, that is so totally cool. Can I have it?" You say, "No, you can't have it. Duh." And what would happen if he decided to take it anyway? You could call the cops, naturally, because car theft is a crime. As a democratic society, we've made a rule against stealing cars and those who get caught violating the rule, are arrested for grand theft.
Originality in Logo Design
There's a great deal of chatter in the bush-league blogs about rip-offs and logo similarities. Mike Davidson writes "Never waste a stroke." in his thoughtful essay on logo design. He addresses the most common form of logo dispute, inspired mutation which few of the come-lately bloggers know about or even mention. But logo similarities are almost always unavoidable. After all, if you use red, white and blue, you'll be accused of copying the Pepsi logo...
However, it's also advice that can inadvertently get you in trouble. Draw a blue circle on the screen and you've just stolen the Blaupunkt logo. Draw a yellow line and you're copying Visa. Draw a black swoosh and you're ripping off Nike. The less intricacies involved in creating your masterpiece, the more likely it is that someone has already created it.
Read Mike's essay Originality in Logo Design
Logo rip-off of the rich and famous
What logo is least likely to get ripped off? Starbucks? Well, it appears that the Seattle media keeps a close watch on their golden child's turf as illustrated by this article from Joseph Tartakoff article ... Saving souls in Starbucks' image. Joseph writes:
The hair dangling down the Starbucks siren's face did not always hide her body so discreetly -- but as the business expanded over the years, the company first hid her chest and later her belly button. In the latest incarnation of the logo, though, adopted by the nation's leading Christian-themed apparel company on thousands of shirts and hats, the nude siren has been replaced altogether by another long-haired figure: Jesus Christ.
See: Saving souls in Starbucks' image
Monica Guzman says:
Looks like the Rat City Rollergirls will get to keep their logo after all. The roller derby team got into a bit of a dispute with Starbucks this spring after the coffee giant asked the team to change its logo, which it deemed too similar to its own.
And, I just have to ask does this really look like a case for the courts?
See: Rollergirls win bout with Starbucks over logo
And just for fun, Susan Paynter P-I Columnist chimes in saying:Look closely, you'll see. In the new Starbucks Coffee logo coming to 150 stores near you, the signature siren on the coffee bean bags, shopping bags and napkins has been cut off at the - um - pockets. That is to say, the image of the famous twin-tailed trademark has been cropped at the waist, above the belly button, so that she no longer appears to be holding her appendages up around her ears.
See: Coffee Logo Lady Won't Be The Same
Logo look a-likes
Sometimes logo look a-likes are intentional, but other times merely mistakes or parallel developments. Everyone remembers the famous 1976 NBC logo fiasco -- when the little NBC logo looked just a wee bit too much like the logo used by Nebraska's ETV Network. Maybe you were too young, so this Mental Floss article recants the incident ...
It might well be considered one of NBC's biggest blunders. On New Year's Day 1976, NBC proudly unveiled a new, modern "N" logo that had been developed and unveiled at a staggering cost of more than $600,000. The problem was that many viewers in Nebraska -- including NETV program director Ron Hull, watching the Tournament of Roses parade -- thought the logo looked just a tad familiar.
So you see, even a $100 logo can be copied by a half-million dollar agency.
See: mentalfloss.com/trivia, and the picture
Nobody is safe from look a-like claims...
You could probably make a living chasing down logo look a-likes. There are companies that make huge dollars scouring the web looking for copyright and trademark infringements for big-time clients. Why not logos? Well, finding look a-likes is a little different. It requires human intravention -- and those companies are too lazy to actually do the work. But believe me, similarities are out there by the thousands...
Over at Giggle Sugar they've listed a whole bunch of instances where everyone looks like someone (or thing) else. How about "Wendy" and "Peppy" as above?
Over at RavalFish, you'll find a listing of Rivalfish.Com's Top 14 Logo Lookalikes as compiled by Kristine Arth, Mary Kotyuk, Josh Downs, Jonah Ansell, Mike Raspatello, Dan Raspatello, Scott Merz, Pete Keeley. These Rivalfish.com writers exclaim:
Do you ever watch a sporting event and think, "Who the hell does that mascot look alike?" Yeah, we did the same and took it a couple steps further. Even if you pay attention to the games and not the mascots dancing on the sideline or stitched to a jersey, we have compiled a list of the top celebrity/logo look-alikes for your viewing pleasure.
See: Rivalfish.Com's Top 14 Logo Lookalikes
All around the country you'll find prime examples
Somebody accused Chinese Car companies of 'borrowing' ... and thought the BYD logo looks suspiciously like the BMW logo. Does it?
When a high-profile similarity pops up, the blogosphere is quick to jump on the band wagon... just see these shining examples -- which really don't have much to say:
But if you watched the Super Bowl, you also saw Cars.com which is ALSO a knock-off. And if you looked hard enough, you'd find a hundred other blue ellipses that look just like Ford's logo. (Pointed out by LogoDesignLove.com)
The Chanhassen Villager points out that Chanhassen High School's new logo looks a lot like a logo of a minor league baseball team.
Creative Pro writes about the Quark logo -- which was picked up by a thousand bloggers all over. Creative Pro's Gene Gable writes:
Quark's new logo is strikingly similar to several others. Is it theft? A global conspiracy? Or a failure to follow basic design principles? Gene Gable gives you the dirt, including ways you can sidestep the same type of predicament.
See: hubbub surrounding Quark's new logo, and picture and antipixel.com
I could go on and on and on about it -- but then I'd be just like all the others out there who call attention to the similarities between seals that is almost unavoidable. The main point, and the learning moment here is:
When you are buying, creating, designing, or developing a logo, seek to symbolize the essence of what the logo represents and refine it until it speaks the right message. Then do as much research as possible, and attempt to make sure it's not already in use.
And I think this is the perfect opportunity to unveil my new logo:
What do you think? You've never seen that before!
LOL ... Gotcha!
Until next time... Keep on designing
Fred Showker, Editor/Publisher
Now, back to Creative Networking, or The Design Center Lobby
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