When logos look alike
It’s becoming more and more difficult to execute original logo designs. No matter how clever your idea, the chances are someone has created a very similar logo. Why is that?
Well, we’re all surrounded by the same influences and exposed to the same shapes, forms, and patterns. With the importance of branding in the marketplace, and thousands of designers working on similar projects, it’s obvious that ideas will, from time-to-time, look almost identical.
Here I have compiled a few similar logos, showing them side-by-side so you can see what graphic designers face today.
Sumpter & Gonzalez LLP and Stylegala
National Film Board (recently updated) and Virtual Global Taskforce
Scottish Arts Council and Artworkers
One Spa, Manulife One and Penzeys One Magazine
SimpleBits and LogoMaid (LogoMaid link directs to a Flickr thread with a fascinating commentary)
pseudoroom design and Cyberathlete Professional League
Graphic Design Blog and Peter GI
Sun Microsystems and Columbia Sportswear
Applied Materials and Planned Parenthood
searchmash and smashLAB
Wayback Machine and Google Blogoscoped
Beats by Dr. Dre and Anton Stankowski’s 1971 Stadt Bruhl logo
Not to mention the BigFix and Priority Parking logos
British Paints and Pagan Osbourne
LA Lakers and LA Clippers
Belfast City and South Hams Food and Drink
Blackburn Market and Barrow.
Wise words
Designer Mike Davidson has this to say.
“Tell yourself at every step in the design process that someone has undoubtedly already thought of this and what can you do to really set it apart. In design, and particularly logo design, the pessimistic axiom that “everything has already been done” is becoming more and more true, and it is only the virtuous designer who can continue to stand out in a sea of sameness.”
Others talking about logo originality
- Originality in logo design, from Mike Davidson.
- Sometimes a logo is just a logo, on CreativePro.com
- History of the NBC logo, on etiziano.
- The Quark logo, on Antipixel.
- Quark reloaded, on Speak Up.
- Which logo ripped off the other one? From Brian Yerkes.
- Godbit logo imitation, on Godbit Project.
- Hey Google! Where’d you get that logo? On ideasonideas.
- Intel stole our logo, on EcoGeek.
- Just how original is your logo design? On davidairey.com
Your valued input
What resources do you use to ensure you don’t infringe on copyright?
Have you seen any other similar logo designs?
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153 appreciated comments, click here to add one
Pat
I was quick once to accuse another designer of copying a logo I had done, only to realize that the element in question was really something very common. I hadn’t realized that I had basically used the arches from an RSS Icon as part of a logo I had created, as the logo was for a company that had nothing to do with blogging. I wrote a long post about it at my blog here.
I think we also need to realize when designing that we need to be designing for the market our clients are in, not necessarily the world wide market. Not every business will have exposure to every country on the planet, so building a brand that is strong in their market is probably more important than ensuring 100% originality throughout the entire world (by this I mean honest similarities. Stealing a logo from one market to use in another is still not right. I just mean we shouldn’t burden ourselves with researching every logo ever made just so that the ma and pa store logo doesn’t look the same like the shoe company in China… I hope that makes sense).
Jul 22nd, 2008
David Airey
Hi Pat,
It can be all too easy to accuse someone before looking at the bigger picture. In your case, with the RSS waves, that’s an extremely common icon, so it’s good you’ve updated your post.
You make a valid point about localities, and small businesses. The expense of indepth research isn’t something everyone wants to take on. Having faith in your designer plays a big part, which is where logo design contests can sometimes leave you in ‘hot water’.
I’m curious to know just how much emphasis other logo designers place upon trademarking, and what factors are taken into consideration when deciding. Thanks for commenting.
Jul 22nd, 2008
Rudy Vaughn
I’ve found that most of the time my first ideas for a logo are a little cliche and have been done before. It’s a designer’s job to dig a little deeper and try to find the essence of the company. It’s difficult at times but the result is usually worth the effort!
Rudy Vaughn’s last blog post…An inspired thunderstorm
Jul 22nd, 2008
liam
Interesting collection, I think the fact that there are so many concepts which are similar it really makes those truly original ones shine just that little bit more.
liam’s last blog post…125+ Unconventional Sources of Web Design Inspiration
Jul 22nd, 2008
David Airey
Rudy,
I go through a similar process, with most of the obvious ideas surfacing at the beginning. It’s why I find the sketching process to be essential.
Liam,
So true. It takes a design you either haven’t seen before, or have very rarely seen in order to shine.
Jul 22nd, 2008
Daniel Campos
Great post!!! I’ll link this in my blog, ok!
Regards
Daniel
Daniel Campos’s last blog post…Equação dos logos: Logólogos
Jul 22nd, 2008
Kyle Anderson
Wow, some of those are really close, especially the first one. I guess a good question would be, which one came first?
Kyle Anderson’s last blog post…Improving Magento Speed & Performance With MySQL Query Cache
Jul 22nd, 2008
Bas
About two years back I designed the logo of a simulation company during my studies, ten months later I saw a very similar design within the logo of a product I used much. Never my intention to copy it though; I suppose the shape was just in my subconsciousness.
Funny to see more famous examples.
Jul 22nd, 2008
David Airey
Daniel,
Glad you enjoyed the read. When referencing my content on your own blog, I’d appreciate if you don’t copy the entire article, instead keeping it to around 10 or 15%, and by uploading my images to your own server, rather than hotlinking, you’ll be able to keep your posts looking just as you want them to. Cheers.
Kyle,
the first one is incredibly close, although that’s a particular issue where monograms are concerned. There are only so many ways to arrange two letters.
Bas,
Ah the power of the subconscious. Subliminal advertising can affect us more than we realise.
Jul 22nd, 2008
Cory Mathews
How about Overstock.com and Opera.com Both the same red O
Cory Mathews’s last blog post…Searching Tips for Opera
Jul 22nd, 2008
Sean Hodge
I’ve always been concerned about companies I’ve designed logos for trademarking their logos. To a certain extent this is a lawyers job though.
I typically only research their main competitors. There is no guarantee that the original logo I’ve designed will by trademarkable.
I’ve always thought that the more illustrative you make a logo, and the less reductionist, the more likely it will be unique. Though often the simpler a logo is the bolder it stands.
I tend to design more icon style logos for this reason. They have some illustrative flair, but are still bold and simple.
I’m curious, have you ever had an issue with a client not being able to trademark a logo you’ve designed? Thanks.
Sean Hodge’s last blog post…Inspiration – Doodlage
Jul 22nd, 2008
Tracey Grady
This is a tricky part of logo design. Another challenge for designers is when the client wants to incorporate a visual element because it’s in fashion right now (despite their logo needing to be, essentially, timeless), or wanting a local icon which many other businesses have already used e.g. mountains if there’s a mountain range in the region. Creating something which stands out becomes very challenging.
Jul 22nd, 2008
Pat
Thanks, David.
The main reason it took me a bit to realize the RSS Icon thing was because my head wasn’t in “blog” mode at the time I designed it. I honestly did not even think about the RSS Icon when I designed the logo, as the logo was for an audio company, not a blog. It wasn’t until Maarten (the designer I complained about) pointed out the RSS Icon thing that I realized my complaints were totally unfounded.
Pat’s last blog post…Developing a Theme – Colours
Jul 22nd, 2008
cyclocross
Wilde said it best:
“Talent borrows, genius steals”
Jul 22nd, 2008
Peter Sullivan
Sean brings up a great question. I wonder if trademarks passed for both logos in the examples above? I know markets are taken into account. I’m currently awaiting my trademark acceptance for my company’s logo and it makes me wonder…
Jul 22nd, 2008
Peter Chon
Great article.
I’m currently working on a logo for a SMS company that I felt was rather unique and original only to find out it looks exactly like the blackberry logo. (Doh!)
I think having so much information available makes us lazy in coming up with fresh new idea. I’ll be the first to admit searching through google images for logo ideas. (and monkey see, monkey do)
However, I think by repeating the same style of logo it helps in identifying the industry as a whole. (i.e. RSS swoosh for anything related to SMS, internet, broadcasting, telecommunication) Not necessarily a bad thing.
*shrug*
Jul 23rd, 2008
Bob
Here’s another one:
archive.org (the wayback machine logo)
blogoscoped.com (the blogoscoped logo)
Jul 23rd, 2008
Sean
I like the applied materials and planned parenthood examples.. lol -
Jul 23rd, 2008
Nick
I have a third item for the “ONE” logo: Penzey’s Spices magazine called “One”:
http://www.penzeysone.com/
It even has your own website’s heart logo incorporated into it! Freaky.
Three in One .. truly a holy trinity of logos.
Jul 23rd, 2008
Trish
Coming from Phoenix, AZ, where every logo has a sun in it, I probably saw more similar designs there than anywhere I have lived and designed. While still in Houston, TX, I designed the Polaris Construction logo. A year later we relocated to Phoenix, AZ, and I was researching trademarks in the area. Low and behold an extremely similar design was being used by a spa product. Polaris also turned out to be a popular name for construction companies as a whole; although, all those we found were out of business or in the process of and did not have registered logos. So they could register the logo if they want. I believe money is the factor there.
When designing the Mosaic Homes logo, I came up with several versions as I worked my way to the final. One of those versions I saw on a billboard in my community a year later for a bank. No copying from either of us, just a very similar idea. Luckily I did take it to the next level and it is currently the best logo I’ve ever designed.
Others bring up a good point about the client wanting a particular look or even lusting after someone else’s design. It happens to me all the time and it is a constant fight to keep clients from outright plagiarizing everything they see.
Trish
Jul 23rd, 2008
Emilie
My dad has worked for applied materials my whole life and I never noticed that it looks like planned parenthood.
Jul 23rd, 2008
Joe Kennedy
Hi – frequent visitor at davidairey.com – you guys bring up a great point. But how can you do research to see if the logo is in fact trademarked. Ya you can look up trademarks in uspto.gov (U.S.) but how can you see if your design is similiar to someone elses.
Jul 23rd, 2008
milo
Scottish Arts Council and Artworkers looks similar to this logo: http://snipurl.com/33il5 just flipped…
Intention?
Jul 23rd, 2008
David Airey
Cory,
Good catch. I suppose at least one (Opera) uses a shadow, even if I’d recommend against it.
Sean,
Thanks for your insight. I have had an issue with one particular client, where the idea I arrived at had been trademarked by London Council (no getting around that one). Back to the drawing board it was.
Tracey,
There have been many times I’ve needed to educate clients about trends, and how following them can leave your logo dated and tired.
Peter S.,
Another question is whether these examples were trademarked at all, or if just one was. It’d be interesting to know.
Peter C.,
At least you caught the Blackberry similarity before you finished (or had you?). Thanks for commenting.
Bob,
Those are good examples. I’ll add a few more to the post. Cheers.
Nice find, Nick. Thanks for letting us know about it.
Trish,
You mention your Mosaic Homes logo as your best. I’m curious why you don’t place it at the top of your portfolio page, so it’s the first one seen?
Joe,
Thanks for listing the US trademarking resource.
Milo,
One of the links in my post (from davidairey.com) features similarities between my own logo and the old Dosh Dosh design (much closer I think you’ll agree).
Jul 23rd, 2008
Roberta Seldon
David, I have to agree with you and say that designers do sometimes come up with similar ideas. At other times, however, some designers blatantly copy other designs– which is something that I really hate. I’m not saying that that’s what these guys did, but I’m just saying that sometimes it happens.
Jul 23rd, 2008
diogo
I scrolled all the comments looking for an answer to your first question –What resources do you use to ensure you don’t infringe on copyright?– and didn’t found it. I guess no one knows how to do it, and neither do I…
I just hope this doesn’t create some kind of paranoia that will lead us to avoid simple forms and increasingly create more and more complex logos… ’cause I still believe less is more.
diogo’s last blog post…The second part of Portugal against The Netherlands at the…
Jul 23rd, 2008
Zach LeBar
I’m really kinda surprised that so many of these examples are rather famous ones.
I think a good way to avoid this problem is to, as a good designer should, dig deeper into the company to find the essence that could be turned into their logo, as Rudy Vaughn said. If you look at ones, like the first example, and the Overstock/Opera logos, they are just typographic, without a unique graphical element. I think when a logo consists of more that just a typeface, even a custom one, though less so in those cases, its easier to be unique.
Jul 23rd, 2008
Trish
I do consider myself to be a good print designer, but I suck at designing my own website. Shoot it took me fifteen years to finalize my Contemporary Native logo.
You are right the Mosaic Homes logo should go at the top and I should take out those that are partnership logos or those that are all client and certainly not me. Unfortunately, I’m obsessive compulsive so everything in my website is chronological. My other issue is that I am afraid to leave anything out. Yeah, such and such logo is not that great, but there is one genius detail in it I want people to see. There are also logos I’ve designed that I hate, but the clients loves them and I get other positive feedback, so again, I’m afraid to leave them out just because I hate them. There are also logos I love that do get bad feedback, but I love them so I stick by them.
As for print design samples, they suck, too, I know. It is hard to get that gorgeous design piece when your client is working on a shoe string budget. Seems conservative clients go hand-in-hand with small budgets as well. The cool stuff is often rejected for the same old stuff because it is what the client is comfortable with.
Yeah, my website portfolio sucks, I know. Being an old print designer I never fully embraced website development. Someday I’ll have enough money to pay someone to develop the portfolio site of my dreams.
Someday.
Trish
Jul 23rd, 2008
Brian Yerkes
Nice post David.
I hadn’t seen the Sumpter & Gonzalez LLP and Stylegala logos…That’s just nuts!
It’s just like music today…..it’s all been done….songs today will always be inspired by something in the past….samples are on everything these days…it’s all about how you put your spin on the concept that’s already been done a thousands times and make it your own design.
Brian Yerkes’s last blog post…Obama versus McCain : Web Design War
Jul 23rd, 2008
Trish
As a designer I can’t believe it has all been done. I believe in order to be a good musician you can’t believe everything has been done musically as well.
I’m so tired of hearing people moan and complain about this, “It’s all been done.” Why even be a designer then? Why listen to music ever again? Why live?
Every generation believes they’ve hit the end of creativity. But if you look back over the last 150 years and compare what we have today with its counterpart 150 years ago, what we have today looks unique in every way. Sure, it took 150 years of gradual change to get there, but it is here!
Creativity is a bit like evolution, you can’t get the perfect organism without years of experiment, failure and luck. As time and thought progresses, perfection seems farther and farther away, but that doesn’t mean you stop striving for it.
Sure for every creative genius who gets recognized, 100 end up like Van Gogh where their creative contribution is not recognized until after death. You know what? I’ll settle for that.
What will art, advertising and music be like 150 years from now? Don’t you want to be a part of the evolution? I do.
Trish
Jul 23rd, 2008
Dave Klonke
Here’s one…the illustration on the new McDonald’s coffee cups and the new MillerCoors logo. I’m not sure the McDonald’s version is supposed to be an overheard view of a coffee cup, but it looks similar to me, nonetheless.
Great post and I really enjoy following your blogs.
Dave Klonke’s last blog post…Lookalike logos…
Jul 23rd, 2008
Sam Van Eman
Great, and uncanny, finds.
I’m not a graphic designer, though I’m interested in it and actually attempted to host a contest to redesign Sherwin-Williams “Cover the Earth” logo over at http://newbreedofadvertisers.blogspot.com/2008/07/cover-earth-logo-contest.html.
No takers, though.
Two thoughts on this post. First, I’m guessing you (artists) visually consume even on a subconscious level. While some folks certainly make blatant attempts at mimicry, I wonder how often you sit down to draw and your brain produces a thing that seems original but is really only remembered. Can you imagine having a search engine (inter-cranial?) to verify this when this is happening?
Second, books and magazine articles and TV episodes often have remarkably similar features, but aren’t considered plagiarism. Is it okay to resemble another’s work simply because it’s good art, or is that taboo for graphic designers?
Jul 23rd, 2008
Michael Laborde
Love it Dave… love it! The funny part is that I am constantly doing this when I see logos. Some really are strangely alike, regardless of being on purpose or accident. Its always a fun scavenger hunt.
The funny part is that you could probably take this further and play sort of a “logo telephone” game. I am sure you would find all sorts of variants that skew and may be inspired from other ones… the first thing I thought of was that Bank of America looks somewhat like the Sun and Columbia marks. I think we could do this for days.
Sports teams are also notorious for doing this. The LA Clippers logo is a blatant knockoff of the LA Lakers, and the NJ Nets Previous logo knocked off the NY Knicks.
Keep up the good work.
Michael Laborde’s last blog post…The “W” Movie Poster
Jul 23rd, 2008
Kelly
David,
A bit late to the party. Looks like you rocked the house with this one!
Scary similarities here. As already pointed out in the comments these are particularly astonishing ripoffs because most are very well-known companies. It really makes me want to run and do research on their trademarks, to see how these passed muster.
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post…Inspiration Points: Go Easy on Yourself
Jul 23rd, 2008
Roberta Seldon
Sam, you are right about that whole “seems original but is really only remembered” thing. I’ve done that a couple of times. Luckily, I caught it before I sent the design to the client.
Jul 23rd, 2008
Trish
There are a lot of logos out there that are the result of mergers, splits, partnerships, acquisitions, etc. where a logo is a deliberate ‘knock-off’ or an update of an original, new logos are generated from a parent logo, or a combination of two or more logos are creatively put together. Similarly, say an investment company owns several companies. Logos may be done in such a way that they relate to each other and back to the parent company as well.
Sometimes you can trace a company’s evolution through growth, merger and takeover by the way the name and logo change. PriceWaterhouse Coopers comes to mind. Or how at&t has added orange to their color palette because of their takeover of Cingular. Fonts, icons, colors, etc. get passed from one company to another because of the ever changing corporate landscape.
I have noticed a trend lately where completely new logos are created to represent new mergers and partnerships, whereas back in the 80s and 90s what I described in the first paragraph was the way to go.
It will be interesting to see how logos continue to evolve with every new merger, split or acquisition.
Trish
Jul 23rd, 2008
Rudy Vaughn
David,
I think this post could expand to similar slogans and taglines as well. Funny how many companies attempt to define themselves in three word bursts:
ABC Company – Tall. Fuzzy. Sushi.
Cheers,
Rudy
Rudy Vaughn’s last blog post…Educate your client…nicely.
Jul 23rd, 2008
Sam Van Eman
Trish, I think it would be fascinating to follow a logo’s genealogy via the artist. This is similar to what you’re saying but instead of following off-shoots back to a parent company, you’d follow the way a logo has been influenced through mentor/apprentice relationships.
Maybe you’d end up realizing you’re related to Kandinsky or Van Gogh, and have the genealogy to prove it.
Sam Van Eman’s last blog post…"Cover the Earth" contest results
Jul 23rd, 2008
Trish
Sam, that would be cool!
Trish
Jul 23rd, 2008
rr
I was surprised to see the National Film Board logo there.
Jul 24th, 2008
Holly
I have another logo to add to the Scottish Arts Council/Artworkers one – the Quark Xpress logo, which you can see here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/hollypop/QuarkLogo.gif
It’s green but it’s exactly the same.
Jul 24th, 2008
David Airey
Thanks very much for the continued comments!
I’ve taken your suggestions on board and added three new comparisons to the original post:
Wayback Machine and Google Blogoscoped.
Beats by Dr. Dre and Anton Stankoswki’s 1971 Stadt Bruhl logo.
LA Lakers and LA Clippers.
My appreciation to all those who linked to this post, and passed it around others.
Jul 24th, 2008
Dave
Great post, I smell a book…
Jul 24th, 2008
Mike Desjardins
How about Mitsubishi and 3 Diamond Tuna?
http://www.mitsubishi.com/e/images/top_logo.gif
http://i4.peapod.com/c/ZQ/ZQSFC.jpg
Great article.
Jul 24th, 2008
Don
It seems more than obvious that most of these were not coincidental, but flat out copies. Who needs talent and skill when copy/paste will put food on the table?
However, plagiarism can be expensive, in more ways than one.
Jul 24th, 2008
Trish
Oh, you’ll definitely have to add the Quark logo.
This blog is pretty well known and respected. Do you think any of these companies will change their logos because of what is shown here? I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a list all in one place, in such a popular venue, or done so well. I’m with Dave, smells like a book. You should jump on it David.
Trish
Jul 24th, 2008
LeeCaroline
The Beats by Dr. Dre and Anton Stankoswki’s 1971 Stadt Bruhl logos look remarkably similar to the British Paints logo http://www.britishpaints.com.au/.
Lee
Jul 25th, 2008
DE Govender
Some of these are really rather stretching it…I used to work in the Marketing department of Applied Materials (where I worked with the logo daily) and lived near a Planned Parenthood clinic that I had to pass each day on my commute. Didn’t see any particular resemblance in the logos then and don’t see it now.
The fact that someone has done something similar before (like creating a letterform with two parallel lines) doesn’t mean that the second item necessarily resembles the first. When something looks like a blatant copy (NBC and Nebraska ETV), that’s one thing, but many of these logos simply employ a similar design element or device but do not really look alike.
You need to step out of the forest so you can see it.
Jul 25th, 2008
David Airey
Not sure why, but comments and trackbacks had been disabled for the past months. It seems to have repaired itself now though, so thanks, belatedly, for those final few comments I never replied to.
I added a few of your suggested similar logos to the end of the post. Thanks again.
Feb 18th, 2009
Dmitry Vorobiev
In addition to BigFix and Priority Parking logos
http://www.1c-bitrix.ru/bitrix/templates/1c-bitrix/images/1c-bitrix-logo.gif
1C-Bitrix logo
Feb 28th, 2009
Romanoza
Graphic Design Blog and Peter GI and http://www.senatorpen.com
Feb 28th, 2009
Yves
Funny to see how for most of them, there is one with a much better execution than the other(s).
(Also, LA Lakers and LA Clippers look similar? Come on…)
Feb 28th, 2009
Sergio
The same logo (star) has an ukrainian GSM operator
Kyivstar: http://www.kyivstar.ua :)
Feb 28th, 2009
Garrett
You forgot about Xbox 360 and Xerox, they are quite similar
Mar 2nd, 2009
David Airey
More notable suggestions. Thanks for taking the time.
Mar 2nd, 2009
Anthony
Don’t forget about the biggest (most overlooked) copycat of the year!
http://www.wellmont.org/
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
Mar 3rd, 2009
Jon Ruddell
Got me thinking for sure, having seen the Big Fix logo above it reminded me of a similar thing i did for an internet phone company called Butlers but remember Boss (who make guitar effects pedals) have a similar one again like this.
My point to add, that i haven’t seen on some of the posts i’ve read here is – If the industries are very different and the general public doesn’t see these shapes on a day to day basis and as long as it works for the business then originality has no upper hand over it. Can be perfect for the business if it’s original or not.
..the buyer wont care. Remember these images are made to sell products and services not be original.
Mar 12th, 2009
Trish
If the concepts are similar but in different industries and markets, then I agree. But if the execution is exact, I believe that is a problem.
You also have to be careful of companies who are sue happy. Budweiser sued a small town, mom & pop flower shop because they had named their store “This Buds for You”. Obviously the industries are completely different, absolutely no competition problems and there was no issue with logos, but Budweiser won anyway. They were able to prove that use of their slogan at the time to name a flower shop diluted the effectiveness of their slogan in their own industry. I personally think they were being sue happy and assholes, but that is just me. But such an argument can be made for similar marks as well.
Similar concepts are going to happen and, on occasion, similar execution. Despite the example of Budweiser above, I think most of the time designer and client should be fine. But, as a designer, part of your job is to research your logo concept as much as possible. If you find your logo looks remarkably like others out there, it is up to you to inform your client and let them know the risks, if any, of using it.
Mar 12th, 2009
Matt Hodder
Nice post.. Found an Ubuntu impostor :)… http://www.matthodder.com/2009/03/31/ubuntu-lookalike/
Mar 31st, 2009
Lorenzo
I am amazed with the Carrier and Ford logos. Im guessing the Carrier designer would go with “What is Ford? Never heard of them.” ha!
Apr 2nd, 2009
David Airey
That seems like a reasonable retort to me, Lorenzo. It was only yesterday when I discovered… a big mac? I washed it down with something called coca cola.
Apr 3rd, 2009
Vlad (Small Business Blog)
Very impressive collection. I remember about a year ago I started a collection of similar looking logos and the reason why I gave up on that idea was that around 5 logos collected were featuring same style and similar drawings (kind of like the man on Adobe Acrobat splash screen) so I just got lost in “who got there first” thoughts. It looked like it was the same logo redrawn a few times, each time for a different client. The point of the exercise was to put logos side by side, like you did, but in my collection it got to be the circle – each logo is a lookalike, but still different.
Apr 10th, 2009
Micah Touchet
The Blackburn Market logo and Barrow logo also closely resemble the logo for Burlington Coat Factory.
Apr 14th, 2009
Anthony
I just came across this one… last night! I guess it makes sense since they are both in the same city and when Hornets moved from Charlotte to New Orleans, they realized that they needed to adapt their logo to the culture of the city. Which was already established by the other sports franchise, the New Orleans Saints. Obviously changing the name from Charlotte to New Orleans was good enough to capture the hearts of the spirited southern fans! Take a look…
http://www.droppin.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/nohornets092707_fleurdebee_story.jpg
http://www.2ktours.com/cgi-bin/logos/nfl%20logos/Saints_logo.gif
Apr 14th, 2009
David Airey
Thanks Vlad, Micah, Anthony,
I’m sure the Fleur de lis can be seen in hundreds, if not thousands of logos across the globe. Could make for another similar collection.
Apr 17th, 2009
Cyd
Then there’s…
Florida Hospital Waterman
http://www.fhwat.org/Portals/42/SkinRelated/images/logo.gif
and
Gridiron Flow
http://www.gridironsoftware.com/images/flow_logo.png
Apr 24th, 2009
Andrew
i stumbled across this web page recently http://abduzeedo.com/creating-crazy-cool-logo/ containing a tutorial on “creating a crazy cool logo”.
Now i don’t seem to be able to escape the thing. i must have seen 7-8 totally unrelated sites with a logo made like this, right down to nearly identical circle weights.
May 2nd, 2009
Miguelissimo
Here’s one to make you wonder…
http://www.chase.com
http://www.niagarafallschamber.com/
May 14th, 2009
Sneh | LBOI Blog
Nice Post David! I just found it on twitter, very interesting indeed. The Pseudoroom comparison set are almost identical, albeit flipped.
May 19th, 2009
Ashely Adams
Well, what more can I say except that good designs can be highly contagious. But frankly folks, I don’t think that some of the examples were entirely accurate. I mean, in spite of their apparent similarity, some pairs actually consisted of very distinct logos. For example, the Sun Microsystems and the Columbia Sportswear logos, or the Graphic Design Blog logo and the Peter GI logo. For that matter, the Ubuntu and the Human Rights First logos too. I think they are actually more dissimilar than similar.
May 19th, 2009
David Airey
Some nice additions there. Cheers for those.
May 25th, 2009
James
In Blackburn Market and Barrow you missed Mr. Bricolage!
http://www.mr-bricolage.fr/
Jun 1st, 2009
TheNaterhood
Good eye! One thing I want to point out is the Human Rights First vs Ubuntu logo- they might be intentionally similar.
Ubuntu’s focus is making easy to use software that’s free and accessible to everyone and putting usability first. (Ubuntu: Linux for Human Beings).
Jun 3rd, 2009
dunn
When I saw the Ubuntu and Human Rights First logos, I immediately thought of the Scripps logo which, I’m not sure but, may be only here in San Diego?
See it here:
http://nms-management.com/images/scripps1.jpg
Jun 12th, 2009
Peter Gi
Damn David, you still putting my logo on blast, huh? Haha. For the record I DID NOT try and rip off anyone’s logo, and the owner of Graphic Design Blog says the same about her logo as well. We both reiterated that here in your previous blog post about this same topic (Tara and PG in the comments section) :
http://www.davidairey.com/just-how-original-is-your-logo-design/
I may be biased, but I don’t think my logo and GD Blog’s are really that much alike. I can see where you’re getting at with the subtle similarities in shape, but anything else it’s a stretch. Some of your other examples are more legit.
I know you mentioned your own logo before in that blog post of yours I linked to above, but why didn’t you include it as well in this post? I know you didn’t rip off your idea for your logo so I think it’s only fair that you include it to reiterate the fact that logos/design ideas are sometimes unfortunately similar, but NOT ALL are rip offs. A short paragraph noting that notion wouldn’t hurt either because I know like all designers out there, we HATE being accused of plagiarism especially when we are INNOCENT!
BTW… that’s not my web address anymore. I obviously do not sell furniture?? ;)
Jun 15th, 2009
David Airey
Hi Peter,
It’s been a while. How are you? I hope you don’t think that by this post I’m accusing anyone of plagiarism. That’s not the point I’m making. I’m saying the more we’re exposed to logos (increasingly possible via the internet) the more we see similar designs, because almost everything has been done before we even pick up a pencil.
If you’d prefer I drop your logo just let me know. No problem at all. Have you stopped your design work now?
Jun 16th, 2009
Peter Gi
David,
I’m doing good, thanks. Yeah, I understand the purpose of your post, but I guess in my opinion it would’ve been better if you had made it more clear that you’re not accusing anyone of plagiarism. Because quite frankly some of your other examples were probably plagiarized and I just didn’t want other people to think I was in that category.
I know this blog post is almost a year old, but my friend actually came across it recently and told me how she saw my logo, so I guess I’m getting some kind of free advertisement, righ? Haha.
That said, I’m not gonna hassle you to take down my logo, it’s not that big a deal. But when I decide to get a new web address I will hassle you to update that current link ;) And yes, I’m still doing design work. Just not freelancing as much anymore.
Jun 17th, 2009
David Airey
Do let me know, Peter. I’ll happily update the link with your new site. Ciao for now.
Jun 19th, 2009
dudemanjenkinz
theres also oxford and loblaws
Jun 21st, 2009
Augustus Yuan
You know the thing I love about Logo Design Love is that it is filled with so many resources. I never imagined that I would get to see so many logos in one place, and I certainly never expected to see so articles analyzing them. The trend for logos is a tough one to depict and, like fashion, it is always changing.
I am only 16 years old, almost 17 years old, and I plan on doing a minor somewhat related to Digital Media. It’s blogs like these that really help open my mind and prepare me for what is about to come. I know I am not ready yet and I realize that sometimes I do get a little mad when someone is critical about my work, but I hope to get a good grasp of the whole “logo” industry and everything that comes along with it. As a final note, I would just like to say how much I appreciate this blog and this article, along with many of the other articles on this blog, that have really opened up my mind of what to expect and how to tackle these situations head on.
Jun 24th, 2009
Henrique B
Nice list! Very well done!
I agree, as a graphic design student, it is more and more difficult to produce original designs. When I was born (1988) everything was pretty much visually established, and it’s really difficult not to execute what I have been looking at during my whole life.
Also, I’d like to contribute with the Suzano Group logo, which looks A LOT like the Airbus one. It is one of the largest pulp and paper industries in Brazil, and you can check them out on http://www.suzano.com.br
Jun 25th, 2009
ago
Google has another service that seems to have borrowed from an earlier design. Compare Google Desktop with SFX logo from Ex Libris.
Jun 27th, 2009
David Airey
Augustus,
All the very best with your studies, and should you choose to become a graphic designer, let me know if you think I can help.
Jun 30th, 2009
Neale Gilhooley
Interestingly I think that apart from:
(A) NBC and Nebraska ETV Network
(B) Scottish Arts Council and Artworkers
None of the other examples would breach a Trademark as they appear to be from different business sectors? But I could be wrong being a designer rather than Trademark lawyer.
Very nice collection. I too have asked Clients to give me a logo that looks a lot like an existing brand. I tell them that the logo/Identity is only part of building their brand process.
Jul 1st, 2009
Dwight
this is just a timeless post! I’d repost some of the contents sometime in my blog. :)
Jul 2nd, 2009
shawnawho
Is there a preferred way to search and cover your butt for originality before trademark? We designers are ‘logo aware’ of the big guys but how do you search for smaller company duplicates?
Jul 16th, 2009
David Airey
shawnawho, other than hiring a trademark lawyer, I don’t think there’s any surefire way to know. You could always go through the trademarking process yourself, but it’s a difficult and time-consuming process, so I’d leave it to those who know what they’re doing.
Jul 17th, 2009
Andy Furlong
Murder or Manslaughter?
Is it all about intent? In the same way some legal systems work, it is surely about whether a designer intends to rip off someone else. Mind you, it’s going to be a hard task if anyone tries to prove blatant copying. I guess it could always be explained as a ‘crime of passion’!
Aug 12th, 2009
David Airey
Intent is key, Andy. I agree.
I just received another email suggesting this one for Carbonfund.org, to be compared with the Obama logo.
Aug 13th, 2009
Andy Furlong
David,
It’s inevitable really, that good design is imitated. After all, it’s the job of the designer to soak up as many visual ideas as possible, in order to draw on those ideas at a later stage. ‘Adapt, adopt, improve’ seems a fair rule by which designers can operate fairly.
It’s been said that ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’, so maybe we should be proud of our influence in the world.
As an aside; I have to work on college and university logos on a daily basis, and you wouldn’t believe the amount of logos which are ill suited to reproduction at a small size. Many of them being ambitiously designed for full colour reproduction, but without consideration for today’s various electronic media.
Andy
Aug 13th, 2009
David Airey
Imitation can be a form of flattery, Andy, absolutely. But it can also be a source of unwanted aggravation. :)
Aug 17th, 2009
Mark
That is funny. It’s amazing with all the unique designs that could come out of a designers head that there are logos that are this similar.
Aug 28th, 2009
Pierre
Imagine my surprise at finding one of my own logos in this collection!
I designed the Ubuntu logo 5-6 years ago (I have no idea if it came before or after the Human Rights logo, as I have never laid eyes on it before)
I guess that this sort of thing can happen even to the most original and creative designers. Ubuntu is a philosophy of life, it was the name chosen for an open source operating system.
Here follows Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s explanation of what Ubuntu means:
“One of the sayings in our country (South Africa) is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity.”
I think you can now see where the idea for the icon originated from – and why it so easily represents the Human Rights logo as well.
I believe it also explains why so many of us are able to design logos that look so similar.
Pierre
Sep 7th, 2009
Karthik
Scottish Arts Council and Artworkers
Add Australia Network to the list
http://australianetwork.com/
Sep 11th, 2009
Karthik
Also i am not sure if this was discussed ever (I saw the post on Melbourne city Logo) and the similarity to something designed by Raja Sandhu for a logistics company.
Melbourne City Logo : Landor Associates
http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/categories/government/226271.html
Merchant Logix: Raja sandhu
http://logopond.com/gallery/detail/857
Sep 11th, 2009
David Airey
Thanks for the extra insight, Pierre. I like the thought behind the Ubuntu saying, and wasn’t aware of it before you said. I hope all’s well where you are.
Karthik, two worthy additions. Cheers. I’ll get around to an update one of these days.
Sep 11th, 2009
Emily
Fairtrade and Pepsie are also very similar.
Sep 24th, 2009
Melvin
Haha, I guess its understandable with Clippers and Lakers since they are just both in LA. :D
Great post..
Sep 30th, 2009
Carson Shold
These are awesome, I got looking at them after finding out about the Apple vs. Woolsworth logo fiasco. Read more about it at http://wordsoftheweb.com/2009/10/when-logos-are-too-similar/
Cheers
Oct 11th, 2009
Ray Leigh
Hello again David.
Another very interesting post and thank you once again for your endeavours to keep us informed.
To be honest I don’t know how you all do it. We have just updated our baldchemist brand. Nothing to special as the name is the logo and brand but just a new look was murder.
I’m just grateful that we have such an unusual but now well known name.
How’s the book coming along by the way? I think we are all looking forward to seeing it (buying iy).
Take good care my friend.
Oct 13th, 2009
David Airey
The book’s coming along well, thanks Ray. It’s available for pre-order on Amazon.
Take care, too.
Oct 13th, 2009
wdct
I think that many of the similarities are there because some ideas are universal, and if one takes a path on finding the best solution for a logo design, it’s not impossible that another person will come to the same solution, if the project is similar.
But, yeah, maybe some of them are just copies of previous logos.
Oct 18th, 2009
Tom Geldner
I saw this logo the other day on a local San Diego hotel (Woodfin) and thought, wow that flame looks a lot like a logo design I was involved in during the 80’s.
Woodfin Hotel: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LT8zviHaIcrzd4VUkakvZw?feat=directlink
Ektelon (racquetball): http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u0BYagwV567ixhLp9-Aqyw?feat=directlink
So I started looking around:
Epilepsy Foundation: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/V0-o8rwfEIwZg3LWRu96-Q?feat=directlink
Camp Fire Girls: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6X2JbXJ3fcLQA_xlJQktJA?feat=directlink
Seagrave Fire Apparatus: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QMfep7gomuwYZcYyt2T2AQ?feat=directlink
I wonder how many other three-part flame images there are?
Oct 19th, 2009
Stephanie Watson
Recently I was accused of stealing someone’s logo.
Mine was Similar to theirs, but theirs was a picture from istock (not copyrightable to start with) and mine was like theirs but a shadow image and it was different and not copied from their image. I contracted with someone to make it. It was very upsetting because of the nasty nature of the person accusing me.
I’ve taken it down and am doing a complete redesign of my site, as I want to be original. But I hope others read this and think twice about making accusations before talking to the person in question.
Oct 26th, 2009
David Airey
Nice finds, Tom. Cheers.
Good luck with the redesign, Stephanie.
Nov 1st, 2009
Shane
Interesting post, so many similar designs out there.
Thanks for sharing all of these examples.
Nov 2nd, 2009
martin
hi, i’ve got a logo which looks like the dr dre beats and the Stadt Bruhl logo, the british music experience http://www.britishmusicexperience.com/
Nov 12th, 2009
David Airey
Thanks for that, Martin. Good call.
Nov 14th, 2009
Gitamba
I think one thing we have to remember is that. As designers we have all be taught the same “systems” when it comes to tackling design problems. Creativity will most certainly come into play as well as inspiration but at it’s foundation we are all attacking the problem with the same vision.
Nov 18th, 2009
martin
exactly, we will be working in similar ways, doing research and trying to communicate what the company wants to communicate, so you will be coming up with similar ideas of other companies that have the same ‘values’, and if it’s trying to use a letter, you will be coming up with ideas that exist already even if you are unaware of there existance. we’ll all come up with the more ‘obvious’ ideas for exactly that reason.
ps i noticed that bbc 6 music looks like the dr dre beats logo too
Nov 19th, 2009
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