The Lowest Form of Sleazy Commercialism
Charles Caleb Colton, an English cleric, allegedly coined the phrase, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” That was in 1820. That was then, this is now.
While walking through Washington’s Union Station this morning, I saw a large sign for Pepsi (right), that is an example of the worst form of imitation.
It is a knock-off of the slogan, font, colors, style and branding used by the Presidential campaign of Barack Obama. The Pepsi ad is in the category of sleazy commercial rip-off by a corporation for no other purpose than to market its super-sweet, addictive, chemical-infused (high fructose corn syrup), soda drink.
A teenage family friend from London, Alex Grifftihs, who was with me remarked that it was, “shameful,” to copy, not just imitate, the Obama campaign’s slogan and image. “A lot of work and money went into cultivating Obama’s image of hope and change,” Alex said. “But it came from a genuine place. What makes the Pepsi ad so crass is that they’re doing it to jump on a bandwagon, not for any honest intention … it just makes it seem cheap.”
He viewed the Pepsi ad as actually demeaning the idealistic principles and lofty new directions for America envisioned by Mr. Obama. And, I agree completely.
Pepsi should be ashamed.
Category: Featured, Personal notes, Reputation management
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Pepsi really needs to ditch their advertising people. They’ve been dropping the ball something fierce. This marks the 2nd or 3rd major miss step in as many months?
Good post. I’d like to know whether the use of the slogan and/or graphic presentation in this instance constitutes copyright theft, in whole or in part. I’d also like to know if the graphic designer who worked on the Obama stuff was paid by Pepsi to create the ad. I’m going to guess the answer is yes.
Regarding the specifics of your post, I agree that as a matter of good taste Pepsi’s use of the slogan appears to have cheapened its brand, but I’ve heard a fair number of people suggest how clever it was of the company to take advantage so quickly and conspicuously before their competitors could. Also, that it seems perfectly appropriate for Pepsi to have done so since its product plays so much to the younger crowd, those who were critical to bringing the Obama campaign to national attention and to giving him his landslide victory.
And free speech is free speech. As individuals and as corporations we have a wide berth to use other people’s words in the pursuit of our private goals so long as we adhere to basic laws regarding such things as fair use, defamation, copyright infringement, etc. Then there’s the human factor: most ad agencies — most marketing and PR firms, too — borrow from the language of the day to create messages and campaigns; they’ll rip off a good slogan or graphic idea in a heart beat if they think it will help to extend their clients’ brands or sell their clients’ products. The proof is in the pudding. Here are some Presidential campaign slogans — if memory serves me right — that found their way into ads and related promotional materials, as is or paraphrased. Check out George W. Bush’s 2004 slogan (Did Obama rip him off?).
Abraham Lincoln — Vote yourself a farm.
Abraham Lincoln — Don’t swap horses in the middle of the stream.
William McKinley — A full dinner pail.
Herbert Hoover — A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.
Dwight Eisenhower — I like Ike.
Barry Goldwater — In your heart you know he’s right.
Ronald Reagan — Are you better off than you were four years ago?
George Bush — Kinder, gentler nation.
Bill Clinton — Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow.
George W. Bush — Compassionate conservatism.
George W. Bush — Leave no child behind.
George W. Bush — Yes, American Can!
Barack Obama — Change we can believe in.
And, of course, Yes We Can!
I wonder if the short-term benefits of campaigns like this — the widespread internet and water cooler discussions — outweigh the damage (if there is any) to Pepsi’s brand. Same with the Ty dolls named Sasha and Malia — now renamed, of course. This seems too obvious to an advertising blunder. Or are marketers really that thoughtless?
Pepsi never had class…coke is still #1 in advertising. BITD, I worked in the ad business in the time of (Mad Men TV SHow) and they were a very inferior marketer of their brand in those days. Now, I think they are desperate. Need a new team with very FRESH ideas…YES THEY CAN do it if they wanted change…
Forget “Yes You Can,” I have a problem with the logo itself. It’s way too close to the Obama logo. And for every Pepsi billboard, I have to remind myself it’s Pepsi, not Obama. I saw a billboard the other day with just the word “YO” with the “O” being the Pepsi logo and I actually thought “That’s a little beneath the dignity of the president.” Oh wait, it’s Pepsi.
But what do I know? I drink Coke.
Yael,
Thanks! I always love your take on things.
David
Not only is this a lack of creativity, it’s a slap in the face. They are essentially equating this sugar filled beverage to a huge part of American history that is dear to many. I wonder who the genius was that thought of this one.
If you think Union Station is bad, check out Metro Center. It’s only when I walked through there that I realized the ads at Union Station were not posted by the Obama inauguration committee but by a company trying to take advantage of brand confusion.
You People are lame, this logo was out way before obama, i saw this ad back in early 06, get a life people