1) A discovery of a logo in the LogoWorks company portfolio which is a direct rip from a logo by Mark Fox - LOGOWORKS.com or LOGOWORST.com?
2) HOW forum members look closely at LogoWorks and come up with more, which are included in LOGOWORKS.COM RIP-OFFS.
3) 'The Prepared Mind' becomes the top blog/podcaster during the saga, coining the phrase 'LogoWorks or LogoJERKS?'
4) CMO, LogoWorks steps in and starts posting on the HOW mag forum. The exchange quickly deteriorates. "Now you went and pissed our designers off."
6) Interview with a LogoWorks designer "I know for a fact that a regular practice is to find a logo that already exists and merely change it a bit and send it off.."
7) LogoWorks states they are putting better checks and balances into play, but "our sheer volume (over 30,000 customers) makes this issue particularly challenging for us" will indeed be an interesting challenge. I imagine many people around the internet will be watching to see what exactly gets put into place as it seems a near on impossible task to accomplish given their business model (see Robert Wurth's article LogoWorks: Who is to Blame? for a rounded look at the problem).
Von Glitschka of Glitschka Studios and Bad Design Kills jumped in at the How forum with ...
’Much has been said in regards to the whole topic of low-ball logo sites. The apex of this subject has revolved around the rise of ’LogoWorks.com’ and all the media adornment and accolades they have received. I’ve read so-called marketing experts applaud their ’Professional’ approach, ’Unique’ and ’Original’ solutions all for a very ’Reasonable’ price point for the client using them. We’ve debated ’Their Right’ to run their business the way they want. We’ve debated if paying a designer $50 for a logo design is whoring out. We’ve proverbially beaten the horse until its skeletal structure is a fine powder. But then unexpectedly I stumble upon the following ...’
If you read into the enormous discussion, you’ll discover the whole issue is wrapped around underpaid logo designers at LogoWorks.com copying other designers logos under the LogoWorks umbrella.
You can see which logos have been found so far as Von will be keeping the offending logos on his site at Bad Design Kills.
For those who want to see what is being said around the internet, I’ve waded through the posts on the HOW forum, as well as googled to find contacts involved for those of you who want to make your voices heard.
So, shall we begin?
Laura Ries, marketing guru, consultant, bestselling author, speaker has posted on her blog No more ugly logo, thanks LogoWorks! and the reponse from designers to this sad ad for LogoWorks was brilliant at first. She has now taken it down (double sad) so we are just left with yet another ad for LogoWorks.
Another blog that gets you up to spead at the enormity of the problem is Morea’s Photos which has a running pics of the discovered logos LogoWorks - really a bargain?.
Below are the Blogs involved so far (some are coming out against LogoWorks, others have praised LW):
Blogs coming out against LogoWorks:
The Prepared Mind - LogoWorks or LogoJERKS?
Bordertown - Design Ethics, Business Ethics, and Stock Purchases
Dimitris Giannitsaros - Logo second thoughts
Adventures In Blogging! BDK Site lists alleged LogoWorks.com RIP-OFFS!
Pandapause - Design Thieves vs Posse
Prepressology Logo Chop-Shop = Logoworks?
Below are a few blogs mentioning LogoWorks in a good light:
Business know-how - Logos - fast, inexpensive, professional
Matt Asay on Open Source - Open sourcing your logo
Paul Allen: Internet Entrepreneur - LogoWorks Scores Venture Funding
Thomas Hawks Digital connection - LogoWorks, Get Your Own Logo Made on the Cheap
Heather’s "Marketing and Finance at Microsoft" Blog - Mortification potential: high
Duct Tape Marketing - Featured Tip: What's A Well Designed Logo Look Like
Business Know-how - Logos - fast, inexpensive, professional
If you have a problem with how LogoWorks conducts its business, email Jeff Kearl at jeff@logoworks.com (he has posted his email around for queries)
And then I started googling
I guess I won’t be using ConstantContact anytime in the future —>> Logoworks and Constant Contact team up to provide small businesses with critical marketing resources.
Ad-rag has a bit on "Hi I’m Lance, lets go out!" Bachelor-billboard sells Logoworks. Media Falls for Logoworks Viral Marketing Campaign.
Article on LogoWorks by Gwendolyn Bounds Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal from The Wall Street Journal Online.
TJ’s weblog Logoworks with $9.5 million round
Rhoda Adams at The Planning Shop with LogoWorks Make a Powerful Impact with a Logo
USA Today (Rhoda Adams again) Logos can have big impact without costing a fortune.
VistaPrint has also teamed up with LogoWorks AND they are giving discounts. Amazing.
The Lowbrow Lowdown with Brigham Stung -- OR -- Mormon Tabernacle Conspire.
