When on holiday in Belgium, there is a big chance you run into, well…, “wannabe” restaurants, as you can see here. But not only in Louvain where you can find this clear trademark infringements. Also in Bastogne (Belgium) where our colleague spotted a “discount McDonald’s”. 2017 has started. Happy New Year!
Since last year the marks authorities in Europe have become even more severe in accepting trademarks. While somewhat descriptive trademarks were allowed when a device had been added, these logo’s are now refused when the device is descriptive as well. The result is, in art terms, that we move from realism to abstract figurative. McDonald’s […]
Earlier this week we’ve seen what the worst thing is that can happen to a trademark. But what’s the best thing that can happen to a trademark? You would say that the trademark becomes itself. When the trademark is affected by its own product. This inspired Italian graphic designed Marco Schemer. He designed a series of famous […]
Always fun… mashing up famous logo’s. Still recognisable, but sometimes you end up a brand-schizophrenic. “Brand Re-versioning” is what graphic artist Graham Smith calls it. Do you recognise them all?
No Logo, you will probably instantly remember the book by Naomi Klein that questioned the brand-oriented consumer culture. The book was a pamphlet against the big brands, but the remarkable thing was that the book , with the the curved shape of the book, had become a brand itself. Big brands rely on their name […]
If you say Supermac, people might think of a giant McDonald’s. But not in Ireland. In Ireland, Supermac’s is a chain of restaurants. Since 1978, and they have over 100 restaurants! But as sole ruler of the word MAC, McDonald’s is not happy with the expansion of Supermac’s in Europe. An European application could count […]
McDonald’s has lost an eight-year trademark fight against a Malaysian restaurant called McCurry. The owner says McCurry, a restaurant that serves Indian food, is an abbreviation for Malaysian Chicken Curry. Yeah right… But anyhow, Malaysia’s highest court agreed with him and ruled that McDonald’s cannot appeal the verdict in an earlier precedent-setting judgement. Also, the court […]
The US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) ruled this month that the name “McSweet”, as a trademark for pickled vegetables, was likely to cause confusion with and dilution. It blurs McDonald’s’ family of “Mc” trademarks. McDonald’s, with 35,000 outlets in 120 countries, dates back to 1940, then in opened a family restaurant in San […]
It’s Sunday. And I am watching a show about travelling. The presenter is travelling through Albania. So far, so good. But then… Then I see a fast food restaurant in the background. Kolonat. And it reminds me of something. Something… McFamous. And a colleague sends me a text: “Did you see this?” How is this […]
Brands can appeal to our emotions. Just like music. But what if brands were music? House of Halo gives us a cool interpretation of a few famous brands inspired by music. Source: House of Halo
