ION Orchard campaign called out for copying work of top fashion photographer Tim Walker
CK Koo’s post on ION campaign
A campaign for Singapore’s most glamorous shopping mall ION Orchard has been called out for copying the work of prominent British fashion photographer Tim Walker and using it in a promotion.
The spring/summer campaign for ION, created by local agency Tofu Design, features a woman dressed in a white gown with peacock feathers sprouting from her back while sitting next to a rare white peacock.
In a Facebook post, Kuala Lumpur-based creative CK Koo displayed ION’s ‘Spring magnificence’ campaign beneath the work of Walker, which also features a white-robed woman wearing peacock feathers next to a white peacock.
Koo wrote in the post: “Sadly, when copying in this industry becomes common.”
A cropped version of ION Orchard’s spring/summer campaign
The work of Tim Walker
Mumbrella has approached ION, Tofu and Tim Walker for comment.
Tofu acknowledged that it had created the work, and said the agency was “currently looking into the matter with our client.”
ION Orchard promotion on the concierge counter inside the mall yesterday
As part of its ‘Spring magnificence’ promo, ION has transformed its outdoor event space into a tropical garden, and will stage evening weekday shows where visitors can watch performing birds.
People posing for pictures in front of a white peacock at ION Orchard yesterday
Tim Walker is one of the world’s most renowned fashion photographers, recognised for taking a theatrical approach to his craft.
It’s not like they ripped off Stairway to Heaven 🙂
ReplyThe problem is art directors and designers today have no qualms in using any image they see in their print ads.
ReplyThey don’t interpret it, put their spin or use it as part of a mash up. Just wholesale rip off.
Tell me that Walker’s original image was not sitting on a laptop screen right next to the photographer’s screen as the studio arranged the model and fussed with props.
Now tell me that the client wasn’t at the preproduction meeting or the shoot.
Nobody spends this much money without sign offs.
Agencies and creatives lament and complain that Clients don’t trust them enough. Well when this is what happens when clients DO trust agencies to know what they’re doing, i don’t blame them.
On the flip side, how can an ECD or Client fact check every visual, every idea, against what may or may not already exist out there? It would be unfeasible. You have to trust your team and not second guess everything they put in front of you. In this case that trust backfired and thus this AD or whomever made this will be fired and probably have a hard time finding another job in the ad industry. (wait this is the ad industry never mind on that last one).
ReplyHave your say