Automotive Handbags At Dawn

-Chris-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jul/05/porsche-nissan-clash-guerrilla-ads

Porsche and Nissan clash over German-baiting guerrilla ad campaign

Sports car marque objects after Nissan uses its logo as part of marketing push claiming superior performance





The Nissan design that prompted Porsche's complaint






Porsche has clashed with Nissan over guerrilla marketing activity used as part of an ad campaign attacking the performance of rival sports cars under straplines such as "The Germans Came Off Wurst".


Nissan's campaign, which also attacks BMW and Audi, includes a massive outdoor ad covering London's Imax theatre with the headline "How to beat the Germans".


A UK-wide billboard campaign used straplines including "Kaisers Chiefed" and "The Winner Hans Down", next to information claiming Nissan's sports models outperformed rivals in a series of races around the Nürburgring in Germany.


However, although the outdoor ad campaign was provocative, it was unsubtle guerilla activity at the Goodwood Festival over the weekend that caused Porsche UK executives to lodge a complaint with Nissan and, according to sources, at one point threaten legal action.


Nissan decked out several of its sports cars with the logos of BMW, Audi and Porsche on the side with a classic five bar gate scoring system "etched" next to each brand to show the number of racing victories it had clocked up on the Nurburgring against them.


Porsche executives are understood to have approached Nissan demanding that the activity be stopped, saying that the use of their logo breached copyright.


"The problem arose with them using our Porsche crests," said Andrea Baker, head of public relations at Porsche. "They are our property and we do not give permission to any company to use our crests without our permission. This applies to any company."


She added that while the company had "no issue" with Nissan's wider ad campaign and "had not seen the detail" of the basis of the Nurburgring performance claims, she was "sure we would have a look at it".


Advertising claims can be challenged through the Advertising Standards Authority, which can ban ads if they are found not to be able to be substantiated.


Nissan replaced the Porsche logo with the word Porsche. It is thought that the BMW and Audi logos remained in use on the side of the Nissan sports cars at Goodwood.

A brave marketing tactic from Nissan, but designed to ruffle some feathers. Who do you think will be first to "return fire"?

Pkiernan

Perhaps Chevrolet could some up with a Mushroom Cloud logo superimposed over a Nissan, with the phrase "How to beat the Japanese".

Midnight_EG

The ad is saying that Porsche are better than BMW and Audi...if I were Porsche I'd be happy :P



I like it though.

VinnyTGM

I don't see any VW or Merc labels on the Datsun, OWNED :pac:

Midnight_EG

VinnyTGM wrote: »

I don't see any VW or Merc labels on the Datsun, OWNED :pac:

What sportscars would the 370Z be up against from VW and Mercedes?

daveharnett

-Chris- wrote: »

Who do you think will be first to "return fire"?

BMW and Audi have some form with this stuff, and I look forward to their response.

Porche misstepped fairly badly here. While their complaint may be legitimate, (I'm not sure that fair use applies) it comes across as petty, and it's given Nissan's stunt a load of free exposure in the press.

-Chris-

daveharnett wrote: »

BMW and Audi have some form with this stuff, and I look forward to their response.

Yep, I'm hoping for something interesting from their marketing bods.

Vertakill

BMW and Audi are always at this stuff with each other so I'm glad Nissan are having a go at it. It's pretty entertaining.

It's also nice to see Nissan (the makers of Micras and other terrible crap) taking shots at the mighty Porsche.

Being a Z fanatic, I love this!

langdang

Midnight_EG wrote: »

What sportscars would the 370Z be up against from VW and Mercedes?

There ain't no party like a GT-TDI party.

@Pkiernan, you're a bad bad person:D

unkel

-Chris- wrote: »

A brave marketing tactic from Nissan

Brave? I call it stupid. By using other companies logos, without permission and continuing to use them even after they were requested to stop, Nissan have left themselves open to lawsuits for breaching copyrights. Beginners mistake...

Matt Simis

Without specifics it kinda seems like Nissan are comparing any of their cars they choose (lets say, GT-R shall we) against whatever they want from their competitors. Which is dumb.

Also, they dont seem to be aware that the Kaiser Chiefs arent German..