By now, you’re familiar with my enjoyment in capturing and sharing new billboard signage that hits the streets of the Twin Cities. Question, what tagline might have inspired this one?
Was the Minnesota Renaissance Festival inspired by Nike’s famous “Just Do It” tagline?
Almost four years ago now, we noted — in this gem from the archives — the following about Nike’s famous “battle cry” tagline when we discussed “Just Ship It” reluctance with Seth:
“The irony in Nike’s ‘battle cry’ tagline is that its trademark enforcement program for the ‘Just Do It’ tagline and mark is not a model of clarity or simplicity, much less one easily understood by those paid to advise clients about the risks of potentially conflicting trademark rights.”
We further noted that Nike had only filed two oppositions with the TTAB enforcing its “Just Do It” tagline since Nike’s previous resounding TTAB win against Just Jesu It back in 2011.
Since that October 22, 2013 blog post gem, Nike appears to have stepped up enforcement activities at the TTAB, filing twenty “Just Do It” oppositions at the TTAB, with all concluded proceedings showing victory for Nike:
- Just Fake It for clothing;
- Just Mak’in It for clothing;
- Just Fix It for golf equipment;
- Just Chew It for chewing gum;
- Frac-N-Hose Just Frac It & Design for clothing;
- Life Just Live It for clothing (opposition withdrawn after “Just” removed from applied-for-mark);
- Just Did It for clothing (Board granted opposition, sustaining likelihood of confusion and dilution by blurring grounds);
- Just Choose It for clothing;
- Just Weld It! for clothing;
- Just Be It! for clothing;
- Just D!dIt & Design for online marketplace services;
- Just Taste It! for dietary supplements (still pending);
- Just Beer It! for clothing;
- Just Ripp It for clothing;
- Just Dough It for cookie dough;
- Just Girl It! for group coaching services;
- Just Bring It for clothing (WWE withdrew application with prejudice);
- Just Taste It for advertising services (still pending);
- JustSayIt for books and ebooks concerning positive oral communication (still pending); and
- JUSTKIT for clothing(still pending).
This recent timeline of oppositions seems to show more clearly that third party trademark applications employing the “Just __ It” format will draw attention/opposition from Nike.
Interestingly, since it doesn’t appear that the Minnesota Renaissance Festival is seeking federal registration, we might never know whether Nike objects to the use shown above.
Instead of tweaking the middle term of Nike’s tagline — “Do” — as all of the oppositions above show, the Renaissance Festival’s format plays on the leading word “Just,” substituting “Joust,” a term with special meaning in the context and theme of its festival.
Is this a material difference that justifies peaceful coexistence, or is it simply a new form of “battle cry” that similarly will be linked to Nike?
If you were advising Nike, would you recommend activating a trademark “battle cry” against use of “Joust Do It!” in the above billboard advertisement?
What if this tagline became an annual tradition for promoting the Renaissance Festival’s entertainment services?
What if a federal trademark or service mark application was filed?
Finally, what if the tagline was applied to clothing to promote the Renaissance Festival?