We’re used to obscure manufacturers from distant countries coming up with close copies of established gear, but you don’t necessarily expect it from Amazon. Peak Design has noticed a striking similarity between its Everyday Sling and a bag sold via Amazon Basics, and the company decided to poke some fun by putting together a video.
Rather classily, there’s very little snark here from Peak Design, whose video is designed as a reminder to customers that quality and innovation — not to mention sustainability — come at a price. By contrast, saving yourself money means lining the pockets of an already monumentally wealthy company that’s certainly not suffered during the global pandemic.
Amazon appears to have shamelessly copied not just the design of the bag (albeit using what seem to be much cheaper components), but also the name. Amazon has since changed its listing to remove the words “Everyday Sling” (though it’s still in the URL), and it remains to be seen whether Peak Design will opt to take legal action against the corporate giant.
The video’s caption is also worth a read. “If we were really serious people,” Peak Design writes, “we might get on our soapbox and pontificate about the pitfalls of capitalism. But we’re not really serious people. So we got some googley-eye glasses (thanks Amazon Prime!) and made this video instead.”
So, which would you buy and why? Let us know in the comments below.