Why put your.com or logo on products

[our-porch]

I have noticed a trend, putting your logo or your.com on your designs, products. Front of shirts, phone cases, etc. I can understand the back of a card and such. Do you really think people would want your great design and advertisement too on the front of a shirt? Can someone please explain this trend. Thank you so much.

[Barbara]

Did you check to see if the logos and URLs templates? If they are, then it's simply a method the designers are using to show examples that the customers can replace.

Colorwash's Home

[our-porch]

I will have to click all the way through once and get back to you.

[CreativeLeahG]

As Barbara said it's usually just placeholder text for templates.

[our-porch]

No, not just a place holder for text.

[InsideOut]

I used to add a noticeable copyright with my url on t-shirts but found it too distracting and never really noticed any uptick in visits, but doing it small enough and in a way that doesn't interfere with any aesthetics can be a great way to prove a design is yours when someone steals it and doesn't bother removing it.

[our-porch]

I do not want to call anyone out with a picture. 

Let's just say, you have a great design on a t-shirt and right under it is your very colorful .com standing out, not removable, or template holding spot (to write what?).

Came across another one, small bright square with letters inside, very obvious in corner of design, can not be removed when you click through. Stands out, kills the design.

If it was me, I would not want to buy that, and the reason I found these, was for affiliate purposes. I feel no need to affiliate a great design with an ad along with it.

May just be me. I just feel I should not affiliate the item then, and move on, needed to ask though.

Thank You all for all the great answers to my question.

Barbra, "pleases me" ❤️

[CreativeLeahG]

People buy branded walking advertisements all the time ... and they're very expensive. The huger the brand name the more the customers like it 😉 Obviously that only applies to well-known brands, but perhaps that designer is creating 'merch' for their own brand. Either way, each to their own. 

[Barbara]

I don't blame you in the least.

Colorwash's Home

[JB]

So you mean, like a Nike swoosh on the corner of a design on a shirt made and sold by Nike, but a person who may have painted the artwork puts their own little branded logo on their artwork?

[LisaMG]

I've begun adding my initials to my illustrations, but small enough to not be distracting. Many big name designers do so as well when creating designs for their POD sites (Redbubble, Society6, etc.) and recommend it to, hopefully, deter theft. Just took a Skillshare class by someone who has several stores here on Zazzle and she usually does it, too. She says it hasn't her hurt sales and she's a Pro Bronze seller.

[CreativeLeahG]

Interesting ...

[Barbara]

Yes, it's definitely interesting. I've added my signature only to the original pencil and ink artwork I've done, tucking the signature into spots where no one would see it unless I told them where it was. For instance, one of the drawings has grass in it, and I hid the signature amongst the blades. Thus, if someone stole one of these pieces, they'd never know enough to get rid of the signature, which would then prove they were a thief.

But that's it. Nowhere else.

Colorwash's Home

[CreativeLeahG]

I have products copied from here by thieves on Amazon and even though the product I have has 'custom text fields' saying 'add name' and the product on Amazon is not customizable and I sent all the required proofs etc. Amazon have still not removed the products. I even had one with my initials, and again Amazon wouldn't remove. It is a good idea but it's not a guarantee of protection unless they post it on Zazzle.

[Barbara]

Back four or five years ago, it was easy to get Amazon to take down copies of our Zazzle designs, but when the thieves started putting in counter claims, Amazon wilted like steamed lettuce, and basically told all of us that we were on our own. My hidden signature nevertheless pleases me.

Colorwash's Home

[CreativeLeahG]

I wondered why they started ignoring the takedown notices. Very disappointing.

[JB]

Probably simple because they can get away with it. It is hard for the little guy to go against them. They won't do anything until forced... by legislation.. class action lawsuits... legal and financial penalty etc and being the behemoth that they are, they know that would be a MASSIVE uphill battle even if the class-action suit had an incredibly large number of complainants. Even though it is illegal and wrong, getting their hand forced is not an easy thing to do for the average person even if the average person banded together with multitudes of other average persons. It sucks.

[everyday_insp]

My initial reaction to this sort of practice has not been positive, I will admit. Whenever I see designs with .coms or designer logos on them I would always sort of roll my eyes. They don't leave a good impression on me for some reason, because I feel like most buyers wouldn't want to have those on their products.

That said after reading some of the comments here, I can say I can understand a lot more about why some creators would want to apply some sort of signature on their designs!