separated at birth?

Here is one of our recent Guardian ads, currently running in the UK:

And here is an ad that just appeared in Greece:

Chris Koutsokous sent me this. He says:

Lifo is a free press paper as far as I know, because i've done some research they did that in-house so there is no advertising agency involvement.

As for the translation:

You can learn a lot from other people's opinions.

Especially when they have the opposite perspective.

Talk, discuss, write everything you believe.

New media is you.

And you are all the others.

Athens. Thank you.

That's it. Wieden + Kennedy London is now boycotting ouzo and taramasalata.

Comments

[fitz]

Maybe its Karma...? ;-) only joking!
Funny all the same though.

[Damon]

Maybe they are just “referencing popular culture".

[The Dead Artist]

maybe they just nicked it.

[zafer]

Well, you know Italians.

They like to steal from artists.

[Wil]

ah, thats no good.

Didn't you reference Giovanni Pintori's poster in your ad with the arrows (again for the Guardian). I know its not such a deliberate copy as this, but where do you draw the line. Was it a homage?

[L.Vazquez]

Vanilla Ice, anyone?

[Ravages]

The two are uncannily similar for just a freak coincidence, even in the advertising industry...

So...I don't know...a direct lift, perhaps? Is there someway you can find out which came first and stuff?

[Stan Lee]

Aah, the eternal adland question:

Why is it OK to rip off / pay homage to artworks and movies, but not other people's ads?

Regardless of that, it's still a bloody exact copy/rip off none the less.

[phivos]

Hasn't even once, crossed your mind, the idea that it might be You, who copied on them? Don't you remember that Greeks invented everything? Once and forever? :D

[Sino]

That's it! We've had enough of you English lads! First you come conquer our beaches by hundreds, and now THIS?!?!

You even steal our ad campaigns?!!?

I'm boycotting Gin!

[Christos]

Sino & Phivo, i would take your comments as a joke! Becuase i really don't believe that W+K has any need to steal something from a tiny little paper like this.

If it is a joke then, Longlive the humor :-)

[Anonymous from Athens]

Hmmm... Looks like a rip-off to me. I live in Athens and know (and read) LiFo, I am inclined to believe that they just "borrowed" the idea for their ad. LiFo is a free, weekly newspaper so I assume they don't have much of a budget and decided to do the easy thing. I am rather annoyed; it's a rather cheap thing to do... And it feels as if they are trying to dupe me by presenting someone’s else idea as their own. Besides, I think that the Guardian ad appeared first, two months ago. That “Wieden + Kennedy London is now boycotting ouzo and taramasalata.” line is absolutely hilarious :D

[Erevos]

Low budget? This is advertised as one of the coolest free papers in Greece, plus there's like a million ads on it! Pfff pathetic...

[honeststeve]

it's a lift. a copy. a piece of flattery for WK. a moment of shame for the Greeks.
I suggest that WK ask for an acknowledgement in the publication and continue hitting their taramasalata exports.

anway, we all know to be wary of Greek's bearing lifts...

[enitoys]

unfortunatelly greek people do that all the time!
I'm greek I'm graphic designer and I hate working in greece and I hate greeks!!!

we have a lot of talented people, but the system here doesn't work that way! Only if you are rich, or you know rich people you can do something good!

I was working in a magazine for 6months, without ensurance, and the owner of the magazine stole all the ideas from other foreign magazines!

I really starded hate my job, but the problem wasn't my job, but the people who own offices etc..

and officially I HATE OUR RACE!
it's a disgrace!

[Stratos]

You don't have to hate our race honesteve, there are many who are great people - just do your best to change it!
Serious steal from Lifo, but most of the greek magazines and papers do that all the time - anyone remember when Klik magazine was hailed as one of the best ever? Well, all they did then was copy blatantly Face, ID and all the Conde Nast mags. Vimadonna is a blatant copy of W magazine...where to stop...

[Nyfitsa]

Greek design ain;t only that.
greek design is almost like that
I Am GRRRRRREEEEEKK!!!
and PROUD OF IT and
this---->
www.tsevis.com
or that
www.poopscooparea.com
www.grindv4.com
and a bunch hell more

Kiss you goodnight

[keskun or cheers]

boycotting ouzo. Funny, if that's what you have been drinking all this time. That's just a copy of a more ancient middle eastern distilled spirit, and ouzo is usually lesser in alcohol percentage.

Colorless koolaid all the same, as long as it's sweet.

[Epikouros]

Funny story.. I think the greek magazine copied it.. It's a the most probable scenario. Working in the media I have seen this thing happening all the time.. When magazine directors want to do something new they go and buy all the foreign magazines for "new ideas".. same thing on tv.. It's really heart-breaking for the the younger generation's creativity!

[Dio]

Hey ! Bring our statues back ! Yes... most probably the idea was lifted... and it's a shame... On the other hand, I can't sit here reading comments from greek youths giving their country so easily away... And yes, I had my bad times also and some times I do talk offensivly about Greece because She's getting on my nerves... but this is a completely different matter... Stop talking about Greece when the problem is an individuals mind and/or way of thinking... Nevertheless, it's completely irrelevant to talk about Greece or England in a general mode when the problem is confined in the pages of two Papers... Concluding, I think this idea was lifted... I don't know who was the first to print it, but it's definately a lift...

P.S. Bring back our statues... There was no Parthenon in the UK... It's rediculus :)

[Dio]

oh ! and another thing... Like a good friend of mine said... Has anybody asked wether or not Lifo paid rights to get that ad ?

Just a thought...

P.S. Advertising should unite us... There is no war here... It should be only fun :)

[Dio]

AND ! on the other hand(I think only one remains)... THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.. LIFO ! It's a shame !

[John]

to Dio& Some other people...

Guys relax... Don't get crazy dudes ,life is beautiful. But Lifo are losers and steal W+K and god knows who else. Try to see this situation with humor, the statues (which btw happen to be Marbles) have nothing to do in here. The Subject is the steal of the Guardian Ad and the work of W+K nobody talked about Greece or UK. I bet W+K is pissed off with those guys, but they just respond with humor. And please don't you ever think that W+K might copied Lifo... W+K is a global agency 25y.o. & lifo is a piece of paper who form a free press newspaper. Don't Get Crazy.. take it easy..or JUST DO IT like W+K said for Nike 25 years ago. We all Love Greece we all Love UK.

[Dio]

I couldn't agree more :) let's have a beer ! :)

[neil]

Beer is fine. But, like I say, no ouzo. Or Retsina. Or Metaxa. Or, er, feta.