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Labour’s GB Energy mocked for using same logo as advertising agency
Cartoon lightbub appears to be inverted version of one used by small New York-based firm
Labour’s new energy company has been mocked for appearing to use the same logo as a small US advertising agency.
The party unveiled the new logo and website for Great British Energy on Friday as Sir Keir Starmer made a speech in Scotland.
But it was quickly pointed out that the logo, a cartoon lightbulb, appeared to be an inverted version of one used by We Think Advertising, who are based in New York, and a different-coloured variation to the design used by Indian lighting company, Chatur Lights.
The logo appeared to be available to purchase from the stock image website Dreams Time, which offers 15 images on a free trial.
Richard Holden, Conservative Party Chairman, said: “Nothing better illustrates Starmerism than the fact Sir Keir has flown on a private jet to Scotland, to launch a stock logo of something U-turning in on itself, for an energy company which won’t produce any energy – that’s not a plan to keep our energy secure and our country protected from Putin.”
The similarities were first noticed by Gabriel Pogrund, a journalist at The Sunday Times.
Labour was contacted for comment on the similarities between the logos.
It came after the party faced questions over the costings of their energy plans, which the party have said will be paid for by an extension of the oil and gas windfall tax.
The Conservative party has criticised the plans as an “unfunded promise” and pointed to analysis by investment bank Stifel, which found Labour’s windfall tax would only bring in £6.5bn of additional tax by 2030.
On Friday, Rishi Sunak said the plans were nothing more than a logo. “All this new policy is, is a logo. You don’t deliver energy security for our country with a logo,” he said.
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said the pledge to set up Great British Energy was a “transformational opportunity for Scotland that once again we cannot afford to miss”.
Industry group Offshore Energies UK has suggested the windfall tax plans, which include scrapping allowances for companies that invest in the UK, could lead to the loss of 42,000 jobs.