It looks like the inevitable happened, someone made their own version of Radwood called Motor Vice Show and it comes surprisingly close to how Radwood has branded themselves.
How does one protect the idea around an 80’s and 90’s themed car show? Well, it’s not like you can copyright against cars from a certain era from gathering in one place on any given weekend. Whether Radwood came along or not, as time moves on, so does the changing face of what’s defined as a classic car show. But, it’s undeniable that Radwood has marketed themselves as THEE’ 80’s and 90’s themed car festival, not making just a car show but an experience. Tying everything together is the collection of imagery, renderings, social media, website, merchandise, and overall theme feel to the show, something that, in my opinion (and the opinion of others) Motor Vice cribbed heavily from.
Radwood first started as one car show in Northern California that was so popular that more shows were added spanning the United States (and even some planned overseas in 2019.) According to one of the founders of Radwood, the organizer of Motor Vice implied that he’d throw his own show in an area Radwood didn’t want to throw a show and presumably that’d be the only one. Since then Motor Vice has announced more dates, making its own entity.
They asked us to do a show in Columbus, Ohio. We didn’t have the budget, or frankly the desire, to do so in 2018. So they started their own. The guy that started it told me he was going to run it like a cars and coffee to promote his shop. Then they announced other shows.
— Bradley C. Brownell (@BCBrownell) December 30, 2018
Friend and supporter of Radwood from Day 1, Matt Farah, points out that Motor Vice “looked over the shoulder” of Radwood for a handful of very important traits that define how people see their car show.
Please, read. I have no problem with other people doing 80’s/90’s car shows. But the imagery, posters, web site, trophies, and iconograpy this company is using are Insultingly close, and if Radwood was my business, I’d be consulting an attorney.
— Matt Farah (@TheSmokingTire) December 30, 2018
First, there are the logos themselves. It’s no mystery that if you want someone to remember a brand; short, sweet, and to the point works well. Both are unique in their own rights, Radwood channeling festivals that use the suffix -wood and Motor Vice going for a more general theme, combining two buzz words that conveyys 80’s and cars. But, look at how they display them, a mixture of dark reds, blacks, purples and blues, a defining mark of Radwood since the very beginning.
Consider their “About us” vision and mission statements. Here’s Radwood’s
“RADwood is a celebration of ’80s and ’90s automotive lifestyle. The car show that blends period correct dress with automotive awesomeness. A period correct event for cars, trucks, and bikes from 1980-1999 that captures the essence of a bodacious era.”
And here’s Motor Vice’s
An 80’s and 90’s pop culture event whose focal point is the automotive subculture of the time. MotorVice is a brand designed for maximum nostalgia. Our goal with these events is to create a community for the ultimate enthusiasts. The 80’s and 90’s were the time to be alive.
Both pretty much say the same thing, a community of car enthusiasts celebrating the 80’s and 90’s.
Then, there’s the word Rad itself. Motor Vice, or any car show, actually can’t use the word Radwood for themselves as it has a Copyrighted Standard Character Mark registered last year. But, that doesn’t stop Motor Vice from throwing Rad in wherever they can.
Feel free to use other 80’s slang in describing your 80’s/90’s car show like Gnarly, grody, tubular, and even righteous.
As far as advertisements go, here’s a Radwood ad for Radwood LA from earlier this November and here’s a Motor Vice ad for their Midwest Show. The Countach, no doubt, is a defining car of the 80’s but there are so many other cars Motor Vice could’ve chosen for their show. And if they did show a Countach, did they have to use a Red and gold color combo. Yes, I’m aware that someone who attended Motor Vice actually does have a Countach in this combo.
Another defining mark of any show is the trophies. Here’s Radwood’s from earlier this year, a couple of video games. And here are Motor Vice’s, not video games but popular media from the 80’s, not exactly, but very close.
Knockoff trophies. pic.twitter.com/cQjlC72r1L
— Bozi Tatarevic (@hoonable) December 30, 2018
The list goes on and on, honestly. From how the show is run, the categories of awards, and the overall “feel” for the show.
Motor Vice probably won’t be the only other competitor to Radwood out their and surely, other shows will pop up with the same exact theme and overall vibe and there’s nothing Radwood can do about it.
The only thing Radwood CAN do is to keep the bar as high as they’ve set it and then some as the show improves over the years. One particular line that Radwood should take umbrage on is how Motor Vice describes themselves on Instagram as, “The World’s Premiere 80s & 90s Car Show.” That title, undoubtedly goes to Radwood.
It’s like how Cars and Coffee first started out in Cyrstal Cove near Laguna and Newport Beach, grew too large for its own good, and moved to Irvine, where it held its home for several years. Other Cars and Coffee shows popped up shortly after with the same early Sunday morning format with the show ending well before lunch but when I think of Cars and Coffee, it’s the Irvine show that defines what Cars and Coffee is. Irvine is the only show to bring in concept cars from around the Southern California area, has a history, and has the prestige to demand high-dollar cars week after week thanks to so many wealthy owners in the area.
There are other Cars and Coffee, but there will never be another C&C Irvine. Same thing for Radwood. There will be other 80’s and 90’s car shows, but only one Radwood.
