An Australian designer has taken aim at Port Adelaide after the club unveiled its new logo, accusing them of copying his work from four years ago.
To commemorate its 150 year anniversary, the Power unveiled its new logo over the weekend before thousands of club members.
Port Adelaide chairman David Koch insisted the club underwent an exhaustive and thorough process in creating the new logo, which was two years in the making.
“This historic logo for our 150th anniversary has been two years in the making,” Koch said.
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“We undertook an exhaustive, consultative approach engaging several agencies, focus groups, former players and administrators and current players in reaching this outcome.
“We believe we have identified a logo that presents an image of strength that is a statement of Port Adelaide’s past, present and future.”
However, the club was subject to widespread backlash online over the weekend, with graphic designer Dean Robinson accusing them of copying a design he posted to an online forum in 2015.
In a series of tweets, Robinson, who also operates under the name 'third' online, responded to the club's unveiling of the logo by first saying: "Love the new logo @PAFC, where do I send the invoice?"
Love the new logo @PAFC, where do I send the invoice? pic.twitter.com/6yb5bRHZqY
— third. (@thirdkit) October 13, 2019
Soon after, Robinson went on an explosive rant, questioning Port Adelaide's conduct and the originality of its design for the new logo.
"Is it entirely possible that PAFC and the AFL worked on this for two years and came up with something that is 90% identical to the concept I designed in 45 minutes 4 years ago? Of course it is, it just seems unlikely," he tweeted.
"But. If the club and the AFL worked together on this for 2 years as they suggest, surely at some point someone would have googled for ideas or to simply see what was out there to make sure they weren’t infringing on other clubs let alone on random concepts."
“Do I expect PAFC to respond or acknowledge any of this, even after the attention? No not really, why would they?
“Again, [there] is a slight difference between a concept designed and posted for fun I wasn’t using it for any commercial purpose, I wasn’t claiming it was official or anything like that - and the actual club rebranding themselves with a possible adaptation of someone else’s work.
Robinson admitted that whilst he wasn't mad at the situation, he struggled to understand how his work wasn't credited by the club.
"In the end it has become increasingly difficult to come up with completely unique ideas. And that’s fine, to a point. Small local clubs “knock off” team logos all the time, but this is a professional club in a national league.
“Just, at the very least, give credit where it’s due. I’m not mad, I’m not even particularly surprised, I’m just disappointed.”
Introducing our commemorative 150th anniversary logo – our journey to 2020 begins here! #pafc150 pic.twitter.com/1MDnMsVwlO
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) October 13, 2019
The logo is intended for use in 2020 only, to mark the club's 150th season.
"It’s a significant year where we can bring our teams together and elevate onto the national stage the historical significance and future direction of Port Adelaide,” Koch told members and fans.
“We are proud of our club’s contribution to Australian football and honoured to be the only suburban club outside Victoria to be elevated onto the national stage. We have a history like no other and we want to share this story with the broader football public.”
