In the advertising world, the gentle ribbing of competitors is almost a given. Whether its dish soap, paper towels, computer companies or automobiles, poking a little fun at your main rivals is the name of the game. But sometimes a company or its advertising agency goes a little too far, and that sometimes means the long arm of the law is dredged up and forced into service.
Such is the case with corporate rivals Nissan and Ford. Apparently, Nissan ran an advertisement in Brazil for its Tiida (known as the Versa here in the States) that may be most notable for its complete lack of any actual Nissan products. Instead, the commercial revolved solely around the Ford Focus, and specifically its base asking price, which is 3,000 reais ($1,806) higher than the Tiida.
No harm in pointing out that your product is cheaper than a competitor’s, right? Well, apparently that depends on how you go about it, as Ford took exception to the use of the two rather irritating rappers and a gaggle of scantily clad bikini models drinking champagne and dancing provocatively around the Focus, explaining how they live in the lap of luxury by overcharging customers. Yeah, it’s kind of funny.
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