TV Ads ripping off ideas

pork99

Has anyone ever noticed how many ads rip-off ideas from films, tv progrmmes, literature, visual art etc?

This came to mind just now watching that ad for the Halifax where they their "staff" start singing "we are sailing" and then their office building turns into a ship. Remember the opening of the Monty Python's "Meaning of Life"?

A bit more obscure is that ad for cat food where the cat will only eat Kitty-Chunks or whatever. He goes to the shops to buy more but they don't have that brand so he buys some other brand because "they're all the same" but get's the bright idea of swapping the packaging when he gets home to feed the cat but the cat knows better and doesn't eat it anyway. Anyone ever see Robert Altman's "The Long Goodbye" - 1974. Almost exactly what happens in that film.

Another blatant one is Honda Cog ad which is a rip off of a video, The Way Things Go (1987), by two Swiss conceptual artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss

see http://www.marketingwonk.com/archives/2003/05/27/artist_considering_legal_action_over_honda_cog_ad/

There must be loads more examples - these are just the ones that I can think of at the moment.

I've always found it ironic that people who work in advertising/marketing and describe their jobs as "creatives" are usually anything but and that often people like film directors and writers who actually do produce original creative work are embarrassed to be labelled creative.

leeroybrown

Given the choice between reusing an idea that has worked on screen before and a new idea that requires more preparation has no track record of success, I'm pretty sure which one advertising managers/executives would pick. Falling back on tried and trusted imagery that a consumer may identify with is a good advertising premise.

Also, it's worth bearing in mind that when you're brain storming for an idea such as a product name or an advertising idea/gimick your subconscious minds always digs up all the old ideas and motifs that are associated with the area.

RuggieBear

pork99 wrote:

Has anyone ever noticed how many ads rip-off ideas from films, tv progrmmes, literature, visual art etc?

......

I've always found it ironic that people who work in advertising/marketing and describe their jobs as "creatives" are usually anything but and that often people like film directors and writers who actually do produce original creative work are embarrassed to be labelled creative.

Part of the problem is that the advertisers have to pass it by the execs of the company they are creating the ad for....a friend of mine works in the advertising industry and is constantly hamstrung by the conservative, bland, play safe attitudes of those he is trying to create great adverts (and advertising campaigns) for. He has told me some of the failed pitches and what the ad ended up being like and it's enough to make you bang your head of the table...soem of these advertising "creatives" would put stand up comedians to shame with some of the material they think up but which are mostly shot down by the clients.....

BolBill

pork99 wrote:

Has anyone ever noticed how many ads rip-off ideas from films, tv progrmmes, literature, visual art etc?

This came to mind just now watching that ad for the Halifax where they their "staff" start singing "we are sailing" and then their office building turns into a ship. Remember the opening of the Monty Python's "Meaning of Life"?

A bit more obscure is that ad for cat food where the cat will only eat Kitty-Chunks or whatever. He goes to the shops to buy more but they don't have that brand so he buys some other brand because "they're all the same" but get's the bright idea of swapping the packaging when he gets home to feed the cat but the cat knows better and doesn't eat it anyway. Anyone ever see Robert Altman's "The Long Goodbye" - 1974. Almost exactly what happens in that film.

Another blatant one is Honda Cog ad which is a rip off of a video, The Way Things Go (1987), by two Swiss conceptual artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss

see http://www.marketingwonk.com/archives/2003/05/27/artist_considering_legal_action_over_honda_cog_ad/

There must be loads more examples - these are just the ones that I can think of at the moment.

I've always found it ironic that people who work in advertising/marketing and describe their jobs as "creatives" are usually anything but and that often people like film directors and writers who actually do produce original creative work are embarrassed to be labelled creative.

Interesting thread

Wait a minute, no it's not, its BORING !!!!!!!!!! :rolleyes:

eggshapedfred

film directors and writers who actually do produce original creative work

how many remakes & films based on books/comics/video games are being churned out these days?

if you worked in advertising and could get away with watching some of your favourite movies during 'office hours' and then labelling it as research and charging some faceless multinational company a large per-hourly rate, would you?

pork99

eggshapedfred wrote:

how many remakes & films based on books/comics/video games are being churned out these days?

That's why popular culture is aimed at people under 30 - anyone older remembers it the first time around.

eggshapedfred wrote:

if you worked in advertising and could get away with watching some of your favourite movies during 'office hours' and then labelling it as research and charging some faceless multinational company a large per-hourly rate, would you?

Indeed

I didn't think of that.

I'm probably being a bit harsh on advertising "creatives" - occasionaly some of them do come up with some very off the wall stuff eg the Tango ads, the recent Pot Noodle ads ("I want something dirty" )

monkeyfudge

I think it was the Wrangler jeans adverts and possibly something else too that copied the fake gun fight scenes from Spaced.

Especially annoying when they copy something that is so recent.

mycroft

Or the dirth of ads at the moment that are ripping off Ameile.

Meteor commerical with the Knome I'm looking at you.

Cabaal

There going to run out of ideas eventually, some time in the future I'm sure Guinness will go back to the fish on the bicycle

pickarooney

mycroft wrote:

Or the dirth of ads at the moment that are ripping off Ameile.

Meteor commerical with the Knome I'm looking at you.

You mean "dearth"? As in a scarcity?

LegacyUser

not just films, music video's too.

have yiz seen the ford street ka ad, complete rip off of queen of the stoneage's video for go with the flow.

pork99

pickarooney wrote:

You mean "dearth"? As in a scarcity?

Maybe that should be "plethora"

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=10&q=plethora

ixoy

Cabaal wrote:

There going to run out of ideas eventually, some time in the future I'm sure Guinness will go back to the fish on the bicycle

Yeah, how long did the new Guinness/bike ad run? The one where he's cycling through the snow? It was an ad for the new cold version of Guinness. It was a fairly decent way to rip off your own idea...

Blisterman

Also the yellow pages ad where the guy cuts the girls hair and shouts at the hairdresser, is exactly the same as an episode of grounded for life.

exiztone

I remember not so long ago Sky had a movie marathon of action films, they made an ad that was a blatant rip off of the Xiao Xiao series showing stick figures do karate on eachother with Matrix bullet time jumping and stuff.

pork99

I wonder are there any films, novels, artworks or music videos which have ripped off TV and other advertising?

Maybe Pop Art; Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Hamilton etc? Can't think of any films/tv you could say that of though.