"Stop piracy" posters fall victim to sprayers
Since January, posters warning of the consequences of counterfeiting and brand piracy have been hanging on the walls. Some viewers were not only made aware of the issue but were also inspired to get involved. This is evident from photos taken by a *Werbewoche* reader in Bern.
Since January, posters have been hanging on the walls with the claim "Play fair. Stop Piracy" warning of the consequences of counterfeiting and brand piracy. They were commissioned by the Stop Piracy platform launched in 2005, a public-private partnership under the leadership of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) and the Swiss Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Switzerland). The agency Matter & Gretener, which conceived the campaign, aims to raise awareness with pointed headlines. The statements are intended to cause concern and raise awareness of the consequences of counterfeiting and piracy. Apparently, however, some viewers were not only sensitized, but also activated to participate. This is evidenced by pictures taken by a Werbewoche reader in Bern. An unknown copywriter added his own words to the statements. Under the headline "It's funny: you download the sound of your favorite singer via file sharing. And drive him to ruin in the process." for example, the sentence "Jay-Z's estimated fortune: 320 million dollars" is now emblazoned in green letters.
In the eyes of Werbewoche, the following conclusions can be drawn from the whole story for the advertising world: 1. avoid white space in your posters - then you will avoid such nosy additions. 2. find the unknown scribbler and employ him as a copywriter.
However, from the advertising industry's point of view, there are also justified objections to this
Graffiti. Marcus Gretener, co-owner of the advertising agency Matter & Gretener, comments as follows: "This is an act of vandalism and damage to property committed by unknown persons. It is not in the interests of the client, our advertising agency or the general public. It is also stupid and undifferentiated for anyone who knows about the problems of piracy and counterfeiting." In Gretener's eyes, it is unacceptable for free riders to make fun of a serious cause by damaging other people's property.
In the eyes of Werbewoche, the following conclusions can be drawn from the whole story for the advertising world: 1. avoid white space in your posters - then you will avoid such nosy additions. 2. find the unknown scribbler and employ him as a copywriter.
However, from the advertising industry's point of view, there are also justified objections to this
Graffiti. Marcus Gretener, co-owner of the advertising agency Matter & Gretener, comments as follows: "This is an act of vandalism and damage to property committed by unknown persons. It is not in the interests of the client, our advertising agency or the general public. It is also stupid and undifferentiated for anyone who knows about the problems of piracy and counterfeiting." In Gretener's eyes, it is unacceptable for free riders to make fun of a serious cause by damaging other people's property.
