Be sure to check the comments of the blog post. An odd debate rages over whether or not Rees' clip art-based comics can even be copyrighted. I think that doesn't matter--the primary purpose of an ad campaign is not to "be legal"; it's to "change minds", and for a company trying its hardest to be authentic, allowing this sort of thing to continue is a step in the wrong direction. Especially if enough people learn about it.
Only one thing missing in all this--I can't find if Jamba Juice has a position on the matter, or if they even know about it.
I just had a sad thought--this Flash intro is possibly the work of a a young animator, acting alone. Or a creative/editorial pair. They might get fired! That's a hard way to learn that this is a crappy--and inexcusable--thing to do.
via John Hodgman and James Urbaniak (the voice of Dr. Venture), oddly enough.
4 comments:
I don't really consider this plagiarism. The tone, intent and overall message is completely different than that of Rees‘s work. These illustrations were originally created for commercial and editorial purposes. Rees appropriated them for the friction created between their banal/generic qualities and the absurdity of what they are saying or the situations they comment on. Now that a commercial enterprise is using them as they were originally intended, someone calls foul? The Jamba Juice ads use them to very simply illustrate their idea without having to hire any physical actors or locations; this saves money and time-something very attractive for companies these days.
That said, I think it is entirely possible that whomever came up with this campaign is familiar with Rees’s work. At worst I think it could be more of the same kind of lazy appropriation that happens on a daily basis in the advertising world. Commentary on the soulless workplace environment is commonplace. I don't think Rees invented this dialog-he just did it better than many others. If this commercial had been made with real actors it would resemble many others and no one would have said anything in protest.
What is questionable is that the exact same illustrations that appear in the ads are employed in his strips. But whatever, I think he should just move on to the next book in the Dover clip-art series and call it a day. Lest he turn into another Shepard Fairey.
I agree with Demon. I think Dave is overreacting, and when I read his reaction, I thought that maybe he might have been a little bit of a douche, a little.
I do think that it's very likely that whomever put this together was aware of Rees' work. Given the juxtaposition of the two specific pieces of clip art, it's a little tough to believe otherwise (not to mention the unspoken gag the spot shares with MNFTIU--the look-I-am-using-clip-art-(which-is-lame)-to-comedic-effect gag).
I don't think, though, that the ad agency was trying to reproduce Rees' effect. I don't think they were trying to get the very same laughs he did, although they certainly flirted with them before the ad's punchline.
Rees probably doesn't have a legal leg to stand on here, and I think knows it. I mean, he's complaining about them stealing his word balloon style and half-heartedly organizing a day of negative prayer against Jamba Juice. In all fairness, I think he's being at least a little tongue-in-cheek.
What I think he is angry about, though, what he should be angry about, and what I'm angry about here, is that the persons who put this ad together were very clearly implying that David Rees was hired to make this intro, implying that David Rees was complicit in this message, and implying that in some way, David Rees is on the side of Jamba Juice. Whether or not you like Rees' work is irrelevant, as is the objective or subjective quality of his work, or the depth of Rees' fame.
The way I see it, Jamba's ad people were trying to get away with an unmade endorsement here, which I have a hard time not calling bullshit on. I don't think they were trying to steal his work, or his ideas, but his reputation and credibility. WHICH I THINK IS MEAN!!
John Hodgman interviews David Rees on someone elses' radio show. Interview starts at 9:00. It's a bit one-sided, but I think Rees makes his point fairly well, and then admits to having moved on.
When you get to the weather quiz, you can probably stop listening.
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