Cannes Lions-winning campaign for Hyundai at the centre of alleged copycat controversy
A Cannes Lions-winning campaign for Korean automaker Hyundai, created by Columbia-based creative agency MullenLowe SSP3, has found itself at the centre of an alleged copycat controversy.
Click for MullenLowe SSP3’s explanation of the campaign
The visually-driven campaign called ‘Speeding Emojis’ featured images purchased from Shutterstock that allegedly bore a close resemblance to the work of Dutch artist Rik Oostenbroek.
The campaign went on to win a bronze trophy at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the print last week and a wood pencil at D&AD in May earlier this year in the press advertising campaigns category.
Oostenbroek brought up the similarity of the work to his own. He responded to a post from MullenLowe Group on Twitter celebrating the win, stating: “Good job using stock photos from Shutterstock that are super inspired by my work. Hope you guys are proud.”
Good job using stock photos from @shutterstock that are super inspired by my work. Hope you guys are proud.
— Rik Oostenbroek (@RikOostenbroek) June 22, 2019
He had apparently brought up the similarity of the work to his own with MullenLowe SSP3 when the Hyundai campaign was first unveiled on the image-sharing website Behance.
He claimed in an interview with Adweek that he had even received an apology from MullenLowe SSP3 chief creative officer Carlos Andrés Rodríguez, who had clarified that the agency hadn’t intended to steal his work and had purchased it legally from Shutterstock
Even before the controversy erupted around the campaign, there was a lot of chatter about it on Twitter with people trying to figure out what message the work was trying to convey.
So this just won at Cannes. Of course it did. https://t.co/lKT376q5UD
— Ryan Wallman (@Dr_Draper) June 20, 2019
The fact that a campaign built around stock imagery won at two prestigious award festivals has seen questions being raised on social media about the standards of judging that allow such entries to pass muster.
In response to a query from Mumbrella, MullenLowe SSP3 chief creative officer Carlos Andrés Rodríguez Monroy said: “We’ve recently been made aware of some discussion around one of our campaigns.
“We understand the concerns that have been raised, and have always been committed to supporting the creative rights of any author. As a company, we follow strict protocol put in place by our external auditors which ensures that we do not air any campaign for which we do not own the rights.
“In regards to this particular campaign, the images were identified as the most fitting way to illustrate the important ‘don’t text and drive’ message for our client. The appropriate rights for the four images were purchased through the correct channels and we acted legally within the terms of the licence.
“We have been in contact with the artist claiming credit for the work on social media, with a full explanation of the creative process and the surrounding legalities.
“D&AD investigated the entry and deemed it eligible on the evidence provided. We have the upmost respect for the advertising industry and we are committed to our responsibility within it.”
Ravi is the editor at Mumbrella Asia. He has covered the marketing, advertising and media business for over two decades.
The fact that people are complaining about this, in a way, highlights a bigger problem with the Cannes circus show and a lot of advertising in general:
An image is not an idea.
The image is not why this won an award. It’s because of the way it was applied to a concept. Is the idea any good? Who cares. That’s another issue. Using a stock image that happens to look like some other image isn’t even the agency’s responsibility. It’s shutterstock’s.
But like I said…the number of people who don’t know the difference between an image and an idea is dismaying.
On the list of reasons why award shows are idiotic, this comes in just below “a seagull stole the olive from my martini.”
Reply…which is fine, but this is just outright [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines]and ML claim to do their due diligence.
The other issue at play here are that the agency and people involved in this wouldn’t explain to the client that they used stock. They would accept any and all praise (+ awards) for the total package… not just the “idea” but the craft in the visual concept. Which was [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines].
Not to mention the sour taste this leaves given all of the parading of “leadership” spouting meaningless soundbites.. talking a good game whilst ultimately endorsing a no values approach to their work. Having diversity, ethics and future thinking seminars on the beach one minute, ego bathing off the back of someone else’s creativity the next.
ReplyGuy made some (commercial) art. Someone else made something similar for a stock image provider. Agency pays Shutterstock for image. Applies it to an idea/the other way round (who’s to say, and what difference does it make?) — either way, it gains a new perspective, tells a story and now carries an actual message. How is this news?
I’d celebrate Carlos’ team’s ingenuity in spotting potential in wallpaper art and adding an unexpected dimension to it.
It didn’t win for illustration. It won for the thinking.
Next you’ll haul up all the tens of thousands of winners that have utilised stock imagery or footage. Can’t roll my eyes hard enough. Spend less time hating, maybe, and put your collective taste and moral uprightness into being more useful to the rest of the world. Or at least the Internet.
ReplyThe onus is on the judges.
ReplyLet them explain their decision.
If we don’t accept it, then shame on Cannes for inviting unqualified and inarticulate judges to the festival.
Given the high fees and career boosting impact awards have, we deserve better.
did that ripped off AI bs about 2 bots falling in love win anything?
as long as it didnt there is still justice.
This one I couldn’t even understand the concept. Garbage.
ReplyThe BBH founder said once – The Cannes Lion print/OOH section is like someones (junior) portfolio. I will only see it if you guys tell me its someones portfolio. Haha .. so true
ReplyHave your say