Original ad? Don't put your shirt on it; COKE: PEPSI COPIED US.
Byline: TRACEY HARRISON Consumer CorrespondentDAVID Beckham's new Pepsi TV advert is "astonishingly similar" to a 22-year-old Coca- Cola commercial, it was claimed last night.
The story pinches the storyline of the hugely successful 1979 Mean Joe Greene advert, Coca-Cola bosses said.
Featuring top American footballer Greene, it's still regarded as an advertising classic.
Coke said last night: "They are astonishingly similar.
"But then, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."
Both ads show the respective sportsmen walking wearily down a stadium tunnel at the end of a match. Greene is injured, but Beckham looks equally exhausted.
They're both stopped by young boys - one carrying a Pepsi, the other a Coke - who offer them a sip of their drink.
The ads show Beckham and Greene swigging the Cola greedily.
And they then both give the kids their shirts in return.
The only difference is that the Pepsi ad has an unexpected twist, as the boy cheekily uses Beckham's shirt to wipe the rim of his can.
He turns round, revealing the name of Italian giants Juventus on the back of his T-shirt.
Andrew Coker, of Coca-Cola UK, said: "I saw the Pepsi advert on the box and was astonished. I thought: 'They've just cribbed our advert.'
"The Mean Joe Greene campaign was possibly the most successful Coke ever had.
"It's part of Coke's heritage and I think most adults will remember it. What's fascinating is that Pepsi is doing something that we did back in the Seventies - we've moved on since then.
"I wonder what they'll do next - that other Coke Seventies classic I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing?" Beckham was reportedly paid a fortune for starring in the Pepsi ad.
"Mean" Joe Greene - a David Beckham of the day - was a star lineman in the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won four US Super Bowls in the Seventies.
His commercial won major industry awards, and was even followed up by a TV mini-series in the US. It can still be seen on various internet sites dedicated to advertising. Coca-Cola last week launched a new pounds 30million UK television and poster ad campaign of its own.
It's the world's biggest brand, massively outselling rival Pepsi. Last year's British sales were estimated at pounds 452million - or pounds 14 a second - compared with Pepsi's pounds 133million.
Pepsi is not the first major company to be accused of copying an advertising idea. Last year a small brewery claimed beer giant Heineken had stolen its format. Hampshire-based George Gale said both commercials started with film of a rugby match.
And both cut to show a pub customer playing a bar-top version, using a peanut as a ball. But it's notoriously hard to prove any advert is a direct copy.
Three years ago a little-know film director accused Guinness of basing its Anticipation ad - featuring a man dancing with jerky movements - on his movie Joy. But the action was thrown out by the High Court. A spokesman for Pepsi said last night: "We have no comment to make."
CAPTION(S):
PEPSI 2001; Beckham meets boy in tunnel...; ...and asks him for a drink from his Pepsi can...; ...Beckham takes a long swig from the can...; ...and offers his shirt, but the boy wipes can with it; COKE 1979; Joe Greene meets boy in tunnel..; ... the boy gratefully accepts his shirt in return; ...Greene quenches his thirst from the bottle....; ...the young fan offers him taste of his Coke...
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| Publication: | The Mirror (London, England) |
|---|---|
| Date: | May 4, 2001 |
| Words: | 573 |
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