This is a blog by Meg Pickard. YMMV.
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Apr 10, 2008
Speaking, as we were not so long ago, about unreferenced advertising homages to internet viral creative endeavours….here’s another one for the collection.
First, watch this new ad from Berocca.
People dancing on treadmills.
Strangely familiar? Indeed. OK Go did this to great viral effect not so long ago:
I know. Ad creatives in ripping off internet shocker.
<rolls eyes>
Category: Media & Advertising, Video, Web, fmp
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And yet, you linked to it and blogged about it, so chances are if a number of people did that then I guess this advert would do quite well :)
Fair point. OK, in case anyone thinks this is an ad for Berocca, let me categorically state that I think that plagiarism is pathetic, and besides, Berocca tastes like hippo taint.
Fuck it. I think Meg’s right here. Yes, the campaign got a mention, but whether the people at Berocca think they paid good money for a novel idea, or they thought they’d get away with it, then they should totally hear people like us saying: “Berocca either got ripped off by commissioning an unimaginative campaign, or they are thieves.”
I agree. I do think it did completely rip off the Ok Go video, and hopefully there will be enough of an internet backlash to make it a dismal failure.
I just feel the viral company think that there’s enough users out there that haven’t seen the original to make it a success. Hence why I believe they did it.
Sucks, I know.
A complete rip off. Except the Becorca video looks lame.
They’ve chopped a few bits out of the OK Go video, but a bit like gold spray paint, it’s not quite gold. It’s like the OK video but without the soul, without the funky factor, or whatever it was that drove it viral. Which is why you normally can’t “make something go viral” and especially not by copying something.
Now had the Cadbury’s Gorilla done the treadmill dance ….
I saw that advert and thought much the same.
I often wonder though, having never worked in advertising, whether Berocca themselves would have been complicit in the thievery? Or would they be completely oblivious to their creative agency’s plagiarism?
Is there a suit at Berocca (I imagine it to be orange) currently talking to lawyers about suing their agency?
Saw this a couple of days ago and my reaction was much the same. Boo to Berocca. Boorocca.
the plagiarism is the point… it’s a good idea (the treadmills obv) and all the agency and Berocca are doing is nodding their head to their target audience (which I imagine are young, clubbers, internet users and not entirely stupid) that they recognise OK Go’s idea and appreciate it. It’s a parody… a self-aware parody. You know, for people who have a sense of humour (albeit a shit one)
I would hasten to add that it is a rubbish advert – it’s simply badly done; but I don’t think its a case of execs thinking that ‘no-one will notice’.. it’s just a piss-poor execution is all.
I’m clearly bucking the trend here, but I think it’s an homage. The original video was seen by so many people, it would be stupid to try to rip it off so blatantly (even with many of the same moves). I think it’s a nod to the original.
Now, I’m not saying it’s a GREAT ad. It’s not.
Thats the word I meant: ‘homage’
Not parody, but homage. Thanks Megan.
smh then again, think of Axe & Tag! tsk tsk