Hasta La Creative!

One thing I learned pretty quickly about the ad world is that people get very prickly about other people’s ads that bear any resemblance to their own. Usually, the grumbling over these … tribute ads is done sotto voce. But sometimes not. Neil Christie, managing director of Wieden + Kennedy London, is calling out a Singapore agency for ripping off a Wieden spot for Lurpak spread (top). The breadmaking sequence in an ad for Qatar Airlines (bottom), by Batey Ads of Singapore, was too much for Christie to handle. He’s demanding answers. “This isn’t a case of ‘inspired by’ or ‘referring to’ or even ‘hommage,’ ” Christie writes. “It’s just bloody copying our ad. Poor show. Anyone out there know anyone at Batey? Can they confirm that Batey did this work and do they know why they so obviously ripped us off?” These things always perplex me. Could the breadmaking have been presented differently, or is any breadmaking a no-no? Judge for yourself. 

—Posted by Brian Morrissey