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The ubiquitous Make in India logo — the industrial wheel lion — has easy recall among Indians. No wonder, as it stares out from billboards, newspapers and even government advertisements. But a reporter from The News Minute website were aghast to see something similar painted on a fast-moving train in Zurich.
The first time she spotted it, her companions didn't quite believe her, a report on the website says. It's neither Davos nor Hannover where the lion was painted on trams as India’s new signature campaign, the report said. So the reporter asked the station master when the next train was due to pass. The group waited and an hour later saw a lion with wheels behind, a campaign sponsored by the Cantonal Bank of Zurich in Switzerland, emblazoned on the sides of the train. Designed by Swiss designer Nadine Geissbülher, it was launched on July 4, 2013, the report says.
While the logos weren't exactly similar, there was an eerie resemblance, the report says. Also, the concept seemed much the same.
The Indian campaign was launched in September 2014 to profile India as a global manufacturing hub. The industrial wheel lion silhouette campaign was designed by the Indian subsidiary of the American agency Weiden + Kennedy (W+K) which has companies such as Nike, Coke and Facebook as clients. Media reports say W+K was paid Rs 4,32,50,000 for the campaign.
“Make In India, takes an overworked phrase and turns it in to a powerful call to action reflective of modern India. Derived from India’s national emblem, the prowling lion stands for strength, courage, tenacity and wisdom—values that are every bit as Indian today as they have ever been,” the agency's website says. “Makeinindia.com encompasses a massive amount of detail and includes content that covers 25 sectors, along with related policies, facts and figures.”
W+K’s first choice was an elephant and then a tiger, which were shot down.
While it's anyone's guess whether or not the Indian logo was “inspired” by the Swiss lion, it is worth noting that Zurich is the manufacturing hub of Switzerland, the report says.
