Last but not least: Nespresso... what ever

The Israeli company Espresso Club has a lot in common with the market leader Nespresso: coffee capsules, coffee machines, club distribution. Unsurprisingly, Espresso Club capsules are a perfect fit, according to Espresso-club.co.il (and Google Translate...) also in Nespresso machines. Nespresso can (and must) live with these similarities - we have seen enough of the whole capsule dispute in Switzerland.

Nestlé, on the other hand, does not want to accept certain similarities in advertising. The Israeli coffee company does not shy away from the Nespresso testimonial par excellence and uses a George Clooney lookalike in its commercials. A pretty good one: David Segal. The advertisement is obviously aimed at the competitor and makes the supposed Nespresso ambassador look old compared to the low-cost competition.
 

Two years ago, Nestlé sued the Israeli coffee manufacturer over this. The link between Clooney and Nespresso was too strong - Nestlé felt its corporate image was at risk. However, the Israeli judges did not listen to the Swiss coffee giant's concerns, rejected the demand for 50,000 dollars in damages and a campaign freeze and, according to the Israeli court, ruled against Nespresso. Haaretz.com the court costs of over 14,000 dollars.

But the issue was far from over. Espresso Club continued to advertise, Nestlé continued to be annoyed. How Timesofisrael.com reports, the dispute is now entering the next round. Last week, a Swiss lawyer landed in Tel Aviv. Although Espresso Club places a note in the advertisements stating that the man shown is not George Clooney, Nespresso is concerned that consumers could be confused and misled by the commercials.

Speaking to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Espresso Club CEO Oren Tal is confident of winning the legal dispute again. Even if the case is a precedent for Nestlé, which the company wants to win at all costs. Tal is of the opinion that Nestlé's claim makes no sense. In advertising, it is normal to refer to competitors and make fun of them. The Espresso Club commercials are also clearly recognizable as a parody.

Nespresso, on the other hand, is of the opinion that the campaign goes beyond the bounds of fair competition. The company invests a lot in brand building and places great value on product quality and customer service, a spokesperson is quoted as saying. It is therefore understandable that the company is resisting attempts by third parties to ride on this reputation, copy the company and deceive customers.

It remains to be seen whether Nestlé's valuable reputation will ultimately be damaged by this unequal David versus Goliath battle. Readers' comments in the international media suggest that Nestlé will at least not make any new friends as a result of this latest legal dispute. (hae)