iPhone Makeup Kit

Your Makeup and Your iPhone

So my wife and I are walking into Kohl’s and happen across this display. I’m generally a nice guy, but this caught me off guard. A makeup kit that looks like an iPhone? Seriously?

Now don’t get me wrong, I appreciate beautiful product design just as much as the next guy. But ripping off a smart phone design to sell makeup seems like a stretch. Either the beauty industry is desperate or Apple’s product designers are unbelievably good.

Close to Home

While this may not be a huge deal, I did listen to two of our designers today struggle through a design review with a client who really just wanted us to “make it look like Apple’s site.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this. As an idea studio, one of the challenges we face is to push our clients past the easy solution of copying some other cool thing and onto creating their own cool thing that other people will want to copy. It (obviously) takes a lot of work, a lot of persistence, but it is worth it.

A Success Story

On the flip side, at a recent FORGE lunch, a different client of ours was mentioning how one of their competitors in another country just completed a re-brand. They mentioned how similar the new identity was to the system we just launched for our client. They were willing to step out, take a little risk and it’s put them in a position where their competition has no choice but to fall in line behind them. Copyright and Trademark issues aside, this is a good thing.

The Moral of the Story

Now, I know that the economy is tough right now. Believe me, I know that marketing budgets are usually the first to go. But I also know that (as one of my partners would say) organizations which continue to focus on their brand through difficult times will come out ahead. If you are a business owner, now is the time to push. Find an organization that will take the time to understand your market and help you establish a premier brand. Then watch your competition fall in line. Behind you.