The Background
For years now I have been designing die-cast car packaging for a local company here in Indianapolis. It started with niche pieces revolving around racing, – as you know, this is the racing capital of the world. Pace cars, IRL series, Indy 500 winners and special promos.
GreenLight LLC is doing some neat things. They are a small company dedicated to accuracy and quality – and it shows in the pieces they produce and the resulting excitement from the collector community. Over the years they have been growing, as any good company should. In 2004 GreenLight developed their “Garage” line, a new take along the lines of a reality theme, where the die-cast cars would be presented in their authentic environments. This new product line really took off with collectors and race fans after the Pace Car Garage and Indy Car Garage lines had been released.
Muscle Cars were next. In 2005 we started working on the Muscle Car Garage product line. These were released early 2006 and did well, GreenLight landed some mass retail space in places like K-mart, Toys-R-Us and Meijers. This helped take them into a place of better recognition, and the packages really stood off the shelves among those of the competitors.
The Competitor
One of the biggest players in the collectible die-cast scene is Johnny Lightning. They are very well known and have an enormous amount of products being released. There are many fans and collectors of their cars. What we are seeing to the right is a typical Johnny lightning package, previous to 2007.
The Copy
In May of 2006 GreenLight released Muscle Car garage. The basic package format was a central band with imagery in the background, with two strong vertical bands on the sides, hailing back to the striping on muscle cars. Red and Orange were the primary package color scheme. (seen below on the left.) This design direction did very well in Pace cars and the IRL series, and GreenLight chose to keep it as a “family” and move ahead using the same basic premise. Sales exploded among collectors and began to really pick up in retail.
Then Johnny Lightning re-branded. I read a news release on Johnny Lightning’s website about the re-branding and the newly-designed package direction, seen on the right.
Now I don’t want to seem nitpicky, but as all of you designers can attest to, we’re trained to be sensitive about these things. I can see six similarities that are painfully obvious:
- Same composition (vertical striping)
- Same Logo treatment (popup)
- Same trading card position and treatment (Inset. It’s hard to see in the photo)
- Same basic color scheme (red/orange)
- Same basic die-cut “peaked” top
- Same type of package (Clamshell, as opposed to blister card)
The Conclusion
I have to admit that I’m not upset about this. It’s normal for there to be trends in design. As the old saying states: “There is nothing new under the sun.” In Design trends a lot of “sharing” happens… although normally, competitors in the exact same industry try to keep a lot of difference. Still, I feel bad for GreenLight’s sake, and unless this is an unlikely series of coincidences, I’d be surprised to see this from an industry leader such as JL.
So, feel free to comment and tell me if I’m just seeing things here.
On a side note, if you ever see a GreenLight car on the shelves that is all metallic green, buy it. These regularly sell for above $50 and have been known to sell for $150 on Ebay.
Technorati Tags: die_cast_cars, johnny_lightning, greenlight, design_copy, design, package_design, packaging
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:49 pm
[...] ianlabs.com] Tags: GreenLight, Jada Toys, Johnny Lightning, Other [...]
March 3rd, 2007 at 3:00 am
Looks more like you ripped Jada and Maisto to me bub
March 3rd, 2007 at 9:08 am
Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough in the article, but what made me think it was a copy was not the fact that certain individual elements used, but rather the group of enough of them together makes for a similar overall appearance – along with the timing. Obviously no one owns red or the clamshell package format.
March 4th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Who really cares???
March 4th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Kevin,
I take it that you don’t care, which is fine.
However, designers care. It’s what they do for a living, so it’s usually interesting to them. Most people have a passion for their careers.
March 4th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Ian, I guess I should have also stated that I buy these cars for the car itself and the amount of detail put in them, not the package or its design, I can not roll a car around in its package, So when I say who cares its because the package goes in the trash and the car in my collection when I get home.
Greenlight and JL along with some others make very nice diecast and I believe most collectors would buy them in a plastic bag if thats the way they were sent to market. I only base this comment on those collectors I know. Thanks for letting me comment on this
Kevin
March 5th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Howdy, as you can see they do look alike but don’t alot of the other packages out there look alike as well?
I know how u must feel, thinking ur design n idea got ripped off. It does happen but it does also happen that people sometimes have the same ideas..
Try not to stress on it much. Alot of the collectors out there buy the car for the car.
I buy the car for the car buuuuuuuut am guilty of buying a car cuz I really like the package….
To be honest with ya, to me the package is kinda important as I am not a opener yet, still in the newbie collector stage…
But either way, I do like the way your Greenlight cars r packaged and have bot a few cars… Have not been lucky enough to find a all green car but am looking!!
Keep up the good work!!! Don’t let no one get u down!!
March 5th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Lorraine,
Thanks for the comment. One thing I am not is stressed about it, but I appreciate the thought. As a designer I can’t help but look for similarities and trends. Glad to hear you’ve loved the packages… but you should open some of the cars too, they’re very nice! I’ve got some on my desk, along with a very nice JL model…
March 6th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Ian,
I’m no champion of late for Johnny Lightning but I must say, you must have stopped short on your research. If you go back even prior to Jada and Maisto you’ll find that the JL parent, the original Racing Champions used 3D logos and special tiered casting packaging years ago. They had thick mil vinyl blister protection in place before it was in vogue and in fact people were not ready for it yet and it wasn’t well received. Cardboard blisters were still the norm.
So you feel JL is playing follow the leader on blister graphics when in fact the important thing here, the casting itself, many feel you (GL) is playing follow the leader to JL on casting concepts. You are indeed doing a good job of it I might add but at this point the score is about 600 to 20.
Mark
March 6th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Ian
One more thing sir. The design for part of that blister actually pre-dates the RC2 purchase of JL. It was in the works years in advance of the actual launch. I not sure if you are aware who did the backround graphics and the stripe but I’m betting dollars to donuts it was a Playing Mantis employee. If you do the math on that, I think the design predates yours and the concept in whole as noted was done by the grand daddy of the company.
Where did the Chase car idea come from and about 20 other cutting edge die-cast ideas?
March 6th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Mark,
I appreciate your input and thanks for adding to the conversation. You’ve joined the many people who are missing the point.
This is not a matter of any specific package feature being re-used, but rather overall appearance and timing. I’d have to live in a bubble to think that I invented the clamshell, the color red, or the 3D effect.
March 6th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
No sir you missed the point so let me be more clear. I have seen pre-production art for a new blister that dates back to Playing Mantis with this design appearance. It did NOT have the new JL logo on it as the one pictured above does, that was clearly RC2 art but the other ideas you point out, the stripe, the tone and the look go back about four years ago.
Perhaps it should be flatering that one so highly respected has like traits but be careful Ian as some may take you to task on your own six points.
For example
1.Yours is a stripe? JL is clearly Bumble Bee and or Camaroesque in nature. Until you said yours was a stripe, I felt it looked more like stainless steel with screws on the sides.
2.Pop-up. Again sir you are predated by Racing Champions in concept and placement. Racing Champions turned into RC@ and owns JL.
3. Yes, you, JL, Maisto Fresh Cherries and numerous others have this going on. Not sure GL was cutting edge here.
4. Red/Orange. You are kidding right. Original JL blisters were red before you may have been born! Matchbox is orange. JL has used red in the red card series and most blisters.
5. You got me there. Peaked top is yours.
6. Again clamshell predated both these blisters
Overall look and feel. I’d say yours is more mechanic, rivit steel looking than JL’s retro look.
March 6th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
I have already said that I don’t claim to have invented any of those design features. I happen to agree with all of your points (and have repeatedly made that clear) so perhaps you are here to argue for argument’s sake. In which case, I’ll pass, thanks.
March 9th, 2007 at 12:32 am
First, I love Greenlight, but the blister issue with that look isnt anything new or unique, been designs like that for years.
If you Design the Next Mopar Series 4, Make the Top of the Blister shaped like a M logo! that be sweet!
The raised part that normaly says MCG,
Or if that isnt possible, the Back of the Blister would be cool if it had raised M on it.
Keep up good work!
December 9th, 2007 at 3:23 am
I read all the posts,and have been collecting for years and know all about RC starting a before its time design for packaging a fine detailed diecast car.
Looks like many many many things in diecast return just like bell bottoms,facial hair,and hopefully one day mullets!!
JL clearly is not stealing but just getting with it,they are in effect growing some facial hair to get that second look while hanging on the pegs.
As a collector I for one would say if JL kept thier blister card look they would look “old fashioned or not taking pride in there fine detailed cars.
Wether you break them out or not they do need the right design to frame the art of the car while they are hanging out with GL on the pegs they can’t look like the “odd guys”
Ripped off design? Oh No….
Trying to fit in with its peers and the sharp new kid on the block? Absaaaaaaalutly
Bad timing? UMMM not for them..
A slap on your cheek saying “nice try new guy
Absaaaalutly!!!
I feel your right to be feeling ripped off,but many JL collectors have no problem going Green,and it may just be because the packaging seems fit to be with the big boys,wether they started it first or not,GL got is a winning company.
One final thing,
I heard somewhere that to copy something is the best compliment or something like that….help me out here LOL
Thanks for letting me comment,
-Ron