Apple has filed a complaint in a Swiss court over the use of the slogan "Tick Different" in a Swatch marketing campaign, arguing that the watchmaker is unfairly referencing the Californian company's successful 1990s "Think Different" ad campaign for its own gain.

The complaint was lodged last week at the Swiss Federal Administrative Court by Apple representatives Lenz & Staehelin, whose lawyers filed a simultaneous but ultimately unsuccessful complaint with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property.

3439342647782506

Image: Swatch

Swatch has been using the "Tick Different" slogan on its Bellamy quartz wristwatch with built-in NFC Visa payment technology. According to Watson, in order to successfully win the case Apple must show that Swatch's use of the phrase triggers an association with Apple products in the minds of at least 50 percent of consumers.

Swatch CEO Nick Hayek has reportedly rejected the allegation that it is capitalizing on Apple branding. Hayek claimed that the "Tick Different" slogan has its origins in an 80s Swatch campaign that used the phrase "Always different, always new", and says that any similarity with Apple is purely coincidental.

The "Think Different" slogan was created in 1997 by Apple advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day, and was thought at the time to be a response to IBM's slogan "Think". It was used in TV commercials, print ads, and several TV promos. Disappearance of the slogan in Apple marketing material coincided with the launch of the iMac G4 in 2002.

Prior to the launch of the Apple Watch, Apple and Swatch were rumored to be joining together to introduce a smartwatch, but nothing ever came of it. Swatch filed an application for an "iSwatch" trademark when rumors first began swirling that Apple planned to enter the market. It later managed to block Apple's own U.K. trademark application for "iWatch".

Tag: Swatch

Top Rated Comments

Avieshek Avatar
104 months ago
I bet, Apple has more lawyers than engineers.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthorumor Avatar
104 months ago
Ironically, Apple aren't thinking differently these days.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
needfx Avatar
104 months ago
Previously on Corporations.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hermes Monster Avatar
104 months ago
I immediately thought of Apple's slogan when I read it, but maybe that's because I'm reading it on an Apple news site
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8692574 Avatar
104 months ago
Apple should sue :

Copperfield for using the word "Magic™"
Shell for using the word "Pipelines™"
Lines for using the word "Pad™"
Marvell for using the word "Amazing™"
MTV for using the word "TV™"
Sony for using the word "Play™"
Meucci for using the word "Phone™"
The Romans for using the letter "i™"
All airlines using the word "Air™"
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ck2875 Avatar
104 months ago
What kind of petty minded fools thinks they own the English language?
Likely the ones who have owned the registered Trademark on "Think Different" since 1997. In Trademark law, if you don't defend your mark against diluting by other companies you risk losing it. "Tick" and "Think" may mean different things but differ by two letters. I can entirely see why they had to protect their mark here.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Alleged iOS 19 Icons Front Page Tech

iOS 19 Leak Reveals Alleged New Design With Rounder App Icons, Floating Tab Bar, and More

Monday April 7, 2025 3:13 pm PDT by
YouTube channel Front Page Tech is back today with another video that provides a closer look at iOS 19's alleged design changes. The video contains re-created renders of iOS 19, which are allegedly based on real footage of the software update, provided by sources within Apple. Overall, iOS 19 is expected to have a more glass-like, visionOS-inspired design, with added translucency for user...
iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

iPhone 17 Pro's New Rear Camera Bar 'Same Color As Rest of Device'

Monday April 7, 2025 2:09 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a redesigned rear camera panel that spans the width of the device, but it will be the same color as the iPhone itself, rather than being part of a two-tone design. That's according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, the reporter says the iPhone 17 Pro won't have a two-toned back, as some renders have...
iphone x front back

Apple Planning 'Bold' New 20th Anniversary Design for 2027 iPhone Pro

Monday April 7, 2025 2:46 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "major shake-up" for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. iPhone X released in 2017 for 10th anniversary Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that Apple plans to launch a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold" new iPhone Pro model that makes more extensive use of glass. Could this mean Apple plans to realize former...
iPhone Assembly

Trump Believes Apple Could Manufacture iPhones in the U.S.

Tuesday April 8, 2025 12:08 pm PDT by
U.S. President Donald Trump "absolutely" believes that Apple could manufacture its iPhones and other devices in the United States, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said today during a media briefing. Leavitt was asked whether Trump thought that iPhone manufacturing is the kind of technology that could move to the U.S. "Absolutely, he believes we have the labor, we have the workforce, we have ...
iphone 16 pro colors 1

Is Now the Time to Upgrade Apple Devices Before Tariffs Lead to Price Increases?

Friday April 4, 2025 3:41 pm PDT by
If you have an older Apple device that you've been considering upgrading, you're probably wondering how the newly announced tariffs might impact prices going forward, and whether it's worth buying now before there's a price hike. Given analyst and economist responses to the tariffs, market panic, and Trump's stance on the current financial chaos, the answer is that making a purchase...
iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

5 Biggest Changes Rumored for iPhone 17 Pro

Tuesday April 8, 2025 2:38 am PDT by
Later this year, Apple will introduce the iPhone 17 series, which includes the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max, two new high-end flagship devices that will be sold alongside the regular iPhone 17 and an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. If you have been holding out for the iPhone 17 Pro or its bigger sibling, here are five of the biggest changes, informed by the latest reports and...
Apple Vision Pro 2 Feature 2

Vision Pro 2 May Now Be in Production Ahead of Launch Later This Year

Tuesday April 8, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
The second-generation Apple Vision Pro may now be in mass production ahead of its rumored launch later this year, Chinese website IT Home today claims. Reporting on information from an unknown source, the website says that key components of the new Vision Pro, including panels, housings, and circuitry, have moved into mass production ahead of the product's purported release later in 2025....
iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Offer Dual Video Recording Feature in Camera App

Tuesday April 8, 2025 7:23 am PDT by
YouTube channel Front Page Tech on Monday shared renders of iOS 19's alleged new design. The end of the video also revealed a new feature that is supposedly planned for the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year: dual video recording. According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will allow users to record video with the front and rear cameras...