Lazy logo design and a naked blue guy
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Principal and Creative Director at Pinkerton South, David Benardo, sent me a couple screenshots the other day for Energy Armor and Electronic Arts, saying, "How bout @LogoTheft: http://twitpic.com/5q4ha0"
Now, I have to say, when I looked at them, I thought they were both for Electronic Arts, not because the logo was so similar, but I figured there was a new game out for the movie, Watchmen.
There are times that I see similar logos and I assume the designer wasn't that creative and didn't know they were stealing a logo. I remember getting a sheet of logo options for a project and my Art Director and I played the "Name that company" game... one looked like Cingular's splat, one looked like the old Walkman logo... it's not that he was stealing, it's just he didn't knew enough to know it had been done.
I'd dismiss the logo similarity as "not knowing any better" but when you have this godlike creature who looks disturbingly like Dr. Manhattan (the big, blue naked guy) from Watchmen, and you know the designer is totally into comic and game culture. There's no way they could have accidentally lifted both the Electronic Arts logo AND the most provocative character from a mildly successful movie based on an extremely successful graphic novel.
The Energy Armor site looks so much like a video game it's hard to know what they're actually selling. You've got this big, bald, blue guy, floating around in a cloud of energy Sure, it looks more like a starscape so we aren't really having him create his own nebula of energy, but if you're a bald, naked, blue guy floating in a cloud, you're probably Dr. Manhattan.
I like the fact that they managed to put the text about negative ions over his manly bits, because I really didn't need to see any more blue wang (and if you don't understand the reference, you haven't seen the movie, or any late night TV host when the movie was out).
Finally, we're selling a wristband that's supposed to make you stronger, faster, and more than a mortal man. Who could be a better spokesperson than a man who is pure energy (after being disintegrated by an "Intrinsic Field Subtractor" -- no obvious reference to negative ions there...)
So is it Brand Identity Theft? The blue guy is, without a question, a rip off of Dr. Manhattan. The logo could be lazy design, but I'm gonna say that if you're going to try to claim a naked blue guy made of pure energy as your own creation, you've already got the, dare I say, balls to steal a brand.
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Kristine Putt: Re: - Lazy logo design and a naked blue guy
2011-09-12 19:08:31
Obviously blatant rip off of Dr. M! But I think we need to be careful about who gets assigned the blame for both the logo and the imagery...
Sometimes there are two designers involved. I've designed many logos for marketing consultants that - after MY work is done - get turned over to a web designer that often takes "liberties" with the brand that I NEVER would have allowed. Hence, there could very well be two designers involved here also: the logo designer and the web designer.
While the EA logo looks suspiciously similar, it may be just a coincidence (logo designer = oops). But the image of Dr. M is clearly stolen (web designer = naughty). As a logo designer, I'd hate to be faulted for the dishonest work of a less-than credible web designer. Once it's out of my hands....well, ya know the drill.
To prevent this kind of problem, Clients should always hire brand designer for their logo, and stick to that brand designer for creative direction for the LIFE CYCLE of the brand. That's a lot less costly than winding up in court against a company faulting you for copyright infringement.
Of course, if the client was cheap and willing to take chances, - and cheap almost always equates to "risky business" - they probably went by way of a design contest instead of hiring a reputable brand designer in the first place. You get what you pay for.
Paul Murray: Re: - Lazy logo design and a naked blue guy
2011-10-05 16:51:37
I'd like to give the logo designer the benefit of the doubt on this one.
There's certainly a similarity between the two, but they differ enough that the similarity could have been entirely accidental.
I'm interested in knowing who designed the logo though. Are you able to shed any light on this?