Ooba "copycat" saga: Ad men speak
It took two design companies to produce the new MortgageSA, now "ooba", logo - which has an identical twin in cyberspace. But the designers, like MortgageSA, insist this is all coincidence.
MortgageSA used the design given to them by Grid but a different design company helped them create what is being used today. The company that came up with the final version is called Code. "The font and style was how they proposed it, the weighting and execution was performed by Code," said CEO of Code, Sean Harrison.
"Literally (in the) hundreds of options were used to try and differentiate from ooba.com." said Harison.
The companies were apparently aware of the ooba.com logo and spent an enormous amount of time trying to differentiate from it. "The feeling from everyone involved was that the logo was far enough and playing in a very different space," said Harrison.
Nathan Reddy, CEO of Grid, said MortgageSA was given three different, very nice designs. The ooba design was amongst the three.
According to Reddy the design was originally in magenta and very different. "We were aware at the time that the dot com existed but the sight was under construction and we were unable to see what its logo looked like," said Reddy.
MortgageSA launched the new look and name to much fanfare last week. The company is owned by estate agencies, whose agents are generally obliged to pass bond business on to it as property deals are signed.
After the ooba media launch, Moneyweb's Realestateweb discovered that ooba.com already exists. It is very difficult to spot the difference between the dot com version and MortgageSA's new name (click here to see the ooba.co.za logo and here, for the US counterpart, to decide for yourself).
The name was chosen out of 650 potential names for the company. The list of names came from four different design companies and a competition amongst the employees of MortgageSA. The "ooba" name was "the most compelling and on brief", said the company.
Several lawyers have confirmed that it is not illegal for MortgageSA to claim a name and look that is the same as the other company's. This is because the two companies are in different markets. If the dotcom company were to lodge a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa it may be possible for them to prove a breach in the Code of Advertising Practice. Therefore the R32m that ooba.co.za is costing MortgageSA is rather expensive if this company does come forward.
"The ooba design is totally ownable from a registration of trademark in classes 9, 16, 35 and 36. Only 3 other companies use the name world-wide, all significantly removed from the category of financial services (baby furniture, tex-mex restaurant, non-for-profit organization)," said MortgageSA in a note.
CEO of ooba, Saul Geffen, said the logo had to be changed to green in order to maintain the corporate colour.
MortgageSA said reasons it chose its new name and look include:
- Continuation of green as a primary colour to carry through MortgageSA brand equity;
- A change in the green colour in line with the brand being more contemporary, visionary etc. The new green, it said, is far more fresher, engaging than current MortgageSA green (dull, heavy);
- The round font application lends itself best to the word ooba - round letters, round sound "ooooba". Tried multiple other renderings and none worked as well as the circular rendering. Plus this "roundness" is linked to the 360 degree complete home-ownership solution.;
- The symbol device of the target / heartland is a powerful visual representation of the business offer of "the 360 degree home solution" of searching, financing, insuring and ultimately living in your home .
The bond origination company worked together with Spoor and Fischer, trademark and patent attorneys in South Africa, during the registration process and were assured there were no concerns it was impacting on any trademark territories.
Meanwhile, Grant Henry, who works for a PR company hired to promote ooba and who spoke to Realestateweb last week, was rather unhappy about being quoted in the original article. "We have MortgageSA as a client. I'm not quotable and certainly not a spokesperson for them. Saul Geffen should be the only person quoted from MortageSA on this topic," said Henry
Click here to see the two logos
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Comments
What's the use then being a PR company - ideal opportunity to get your name out there!
by Willie on March 03 2008, 17:40
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"The font and style was how they proposed it, the weighting and execution was performed by Code,"
by anonymous on March 03 2008, 18:51
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I hope the dotcom nails them for infringement. Similar to the way that Standard Bank fashioned Bluebean on Beenz - just a different colour bean!
by Dave on March 04 2008, 09:39
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On seeing the new logo, and the fanfare that led to its release to market, my first instinct was to wonder if it was 1 April. Clearly, millions and hours have gone into researching this rebranding, but I suspect the whole scenario may go down in branding . .more
by April fool? on March 04 2008, 10:07
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There is nothing new under the sun as design and marketing companies continue to plagiarise other peoples designs and charge their clients huge fees for the honour
by Postscript on March 04 2008, 10:55
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Talk about a rip off - one agency helps the other. Who approved all this stuff? And who pays for it?
by anonymous on March 04 2008, 14:16
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Like most of the victims of the exorbitant fees charged by so-called consultants, ad agencies and creative types, Mortgage SA has been taken for a ride. I can't decide who's dumber - the con artists whose lack of aptitude for anything else forces them . .more
by Anton on March 04 2008, 18:56
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Mortgage SA - you have been seriously conned! Not surprising at all that Code is involved in this sham. They do have a very dubious reputation in this regard. Saul, how Code (Sean Harrison) could have convinced someone as astute as you, to pay money for . .more
by Rodney on March 05 2008, 07:56
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I mean really! Do they think we are that stoopid.
trying to be young and energetic, with an apeal to the "noo" internet savy generation. using agencies like "grid" and "code" to develop a web2.0 look. FAIL! OMFG, NOOBS, ROFLMAO @ PR agent who . .more
by noob on March 05 2008, 16:21
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...or is it just cheeky to suggest that the Geffens might have come up with something original at a Friday night supper ... perhaps LewBA and saved themselves lots of bucks? or SaulBA or SooBA / SueBA / jooba ... In no way does the name relate to the . .more
by crickle on March 06 2008, 15:58
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"Can you see the difference? I can't see the difference!"
The excuse-mongerers better come up with something better than the abovementioned drivel.
Let me get this straight, it's a COMPLETE conincidence that they came up with:
1) The same . .more
by Zonky on June 17 2008, 15:18
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