When designing logos for a client, I always explain that simplicity in design is tough. It’s much harder to pull off a simple, elegant design than it is to create a complex one. In a similar vein, marketing and advertising concepts are the same. Simple; hard. Complex; easy.
A couple of weeks ago, Lani Voivod wrote this scathing comparison of Toshiba’s magazine ad to the popular “I’m a PC, and I’m a Mac” ad campaign. This morning, after finding this post at Scootinger.net, from a 1996(!) MacAddict Magazine ad, I start to wonder. Are either, or both, of the new ads a blatant rip-off? … or is it a coincidental use of a similar, simple idea? The world may never know.
Important note; If you’re going to create “simple”, pay particular attention to the possibility that your idea isn’t new. In fact, it may be so “NOT new” that it crosses the line of trademark infringement.
