Quantcast

Creativebits.org

an All Creative World site
Ruthy's picture
159 pencils

Coincidence or Copy Cat

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-48859--search.htm

This logo design cost the city of Kelowna 35,000 dollars. Inset in the image is an almost identical mark created by the U.S. firm LandDesign back in 2007 for Sunhaven.
Graphic designer Phred Martin stands by his logo's authenticity.

"The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers." Princess Leia

Commenting on this Forum topic is closed.

Ivan's picture

It can very well be a coincidence.

morse's picture
69 pencils

Shape can be a coincidence, but shape and color scheme feels a bit suspicious. It's still possible, just highly unlikely. The designer must have been influenced by the previous logo.

gwells's picture
1705 pencils

it's hard to take the designer serious when his name is spelled "phred," ;)

but i find it interesting that not only are the shape and color palette so similar, but they're both "city" logos as well.

still, it's certainly possible that it's coincidence.

10thWay's picture
47 pencils

ha-haa! it looks like phred just inverted the orientation!

phunny!

Brochure Printing by 10th Way

Leaky Penny's picture
2592 pencils

If he can justify why he designed that particular logo ( why he chose those colours, elements etc.) then sure, it's a coincidence.

I highly doubt it though.

Leaky Penny
Check out what I've been up to lately!
http://petersonjoseph.com

I'm going to print it out and eat it.

-Unknown Artist

Ruthy's picture
159 pencils

yes, well apparently the logo shape is a graphical representation of the underside of a pine cone, pine trees being an integral part of the Kelowna landscape and the color scheme chosen represents the sea the land and the sky.

"The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers." Princess Leia

Leaky Penny's picture
2592 pencils

Bullshit. That just confirmed it for me, it's a copy.

Leaky Penny
Check out what I've been up to lately!
http://petersonjoseph.com

I'm going to print it out and eat it.

-Unknown Artist

caoimghgin's picture
825 pencils

Definitely a copy, though a much improved copy. Not sure how I feel about that.

Without my sense of direction, I don't know where I'd be.

Mintsauce's picture
1004 pencils

Devil's Advocate:

  • This is not, in fact, an inversion. There are 14 triangles in the "Sunhaven" circles and 15 in those of Kelowna
  • The colours are not exactly the same, and are not used consistently either; although the colour choice in both is a very natural choice - the rainbow without using violet. I don't think God ever trademarked those colours.
  • If the Kelowna is considered a "copy" of "Sunhaven" then "Sunhaven" is a cleverly disguised copy of "Beyond Petroleum" which in turn is a rip-off of an old Spirograph pattern.
  • The reasoning and explanation behind this design, including colour choice, sound very reasonable; for those who took the trouble of actually reading the article.
  • This has happened before and will happen again - we are all influenced by similar forces and will have similar ideas.

The Construct Agency
Building Creative Brands for People

caoimghgin's picture
825 pencils

Nonsense.

• In fact, it is inverted. Each triangle is 'inverted' where the point of the triangle faces inward rather than outward. Counting 14 triangles rather than 15 is a moot point. Shall we say a white globe with 4 stripes is not a rip off of the 5 stripe AT&T logo?

• The colors are certainly from the same family and share identical concepts. If we designed two 'A's in Helvetica Bold and used a different shade of PMS281 for one and a lighter shade of PMS485 for the other, would we then say it's not a copy of the American Airlines mark?

• Examining the BP logo, one can see the idea of integrated triangular negative space is absent where it is integral in both logos above. Furthermore, the geometric pattern of the BP logo is not based upon triangles but a geometric shape that changes as the rings grow outwards. It's safe to say the BP creative team is not being abused.

• Anyone could come up with a design brief and make it sound 'reasonable'. To say this design is not a rip off because 'the design brief says it wasn't' is not entirely believable.

Personally, if I were the devil, I'd shop around for another advocate.

Cheers! ;-)

Without my sense of direction, I don't know where I'd be.

10thWay's picture
47 pencils

Jeeesus guys! I was laughing so hard I nearly fell off my chair!

Brochure Printing by 10th Way

natobasso's picture
3954 pencils

Since these are both city logos there might be a trademark issue, whether the similarity is intentional or not.

Ivan's picture

So true. A redesign will be required regardless if its stolen or not.

sublmnl's picture
14 pencils

I find it strange that someone would copy a mediocre logo and go to the trouble to write a rationale for it. The original is poor, as is it's counter part.

I may look alright on a flag, or large signage but the accessibility and reproduction qualities of both of these logos are horrendous.

Should make print companies happy though.

:/

No one on their death bed has ever said 'I wish I had played it safe'.

Art D. Rector's picture
2639 pencils

The reason one logo has 14 triangles and the other has 15 is because "Phred" is not only a plagiarist - he can't count.

Creativebits is a blog about creativity, design and Macs. We also have a critique section where you can post your work to get opinions and a forum to discuss any design related topics.

Recommend us on Google

Latest critique

  • Butterfingers ad campaign
  • Critique for my logo

Marketplace