Imitation or Ripoff?
By Joe Ferry on Jun 25, 2008 in Marketing Communications, Public Relations | comments(0)
TV viewers in the Philadelphia area have become accustomed to hearing the familiar “do-be-do-be-do” jingle and seeing the bouncing orange ball in commercials for ING Direct, the online savings bank. I’ve been considering opening an account with them because of their favorable terms.
Today, as I’m half-watching the morning news show, I glimpse what seems to be that familiar bouncing ball - so I pay a little closer attention to see if maybe they have a new offer that will convince me to make the plunge.
To my surprise, it’s actually commercial for HSBC Direct, a competitor to ING. And the bouncing ball is really a rounded pig. Now, I don’t know if HSBC has been using that commercial in other markets and it’s just now reaching the Philadelphia area. But it sure seems more than a coincidence to me that the ads are so similar.
I know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But when does it become a ripoff?
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