Sony Bastards Ripped Off the Bunny Tsunami Ad

Posted by Brian Lam at 10:10 AM on October 5, 2007


What the Hell. When I saw this morning's post on the awesome Sony Bravia Bunny Ad, featuring multi-hued rabbits climbing through a cityscape transforming into a tidalwave, I assumed it was the work of my favourite artists, the LA-based kozyndan. By my front door, I have a framed print of one of their limited edition NYC bunny panoramics, which I've put below. Aside from this, they're probably best known for reworking of Hokusai's "Great Wave off Kana gawa" with bunnies inserted in the place of the white wash, which was featured on a Giant Robot magazine cover. I was only half right about kozyndan's involvement with this Sony project, unfortunately. They were robbed: For pretty damning proof, watch the video, and read on.

 

Usa_chan.jpeg
Apparently, the Passion Pictures animation studio ripped off KozynDan's after requesting samples of their work and never called them back. Dan just wrote me an email about it to confirm that this is pretty much the story, at least from their side.
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I hear this happens often in advertising, but that doesn't make it fucking right. I guess it's not Sony's fault, but they should at least get their money back or get Passion Pictures to give a fair chunk to the artists. I'm pissed and not sure what I, or anyone else can do about it. Thoughts? [Passion Pictures vs KozyNDan]

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)

K.ndal0

Posted October 5, 2007 2:37 PM

Rhymes with phony.

Reckless

Posted October 5, 2007 3:33 PM

Maybe we're using different rhyming dictionaries, but I think rabbit rhymes better with habit.

Zac

Posted October 5, 2007 11:10 PM

copywriting style is really hard... tweak an ipod subtly and you can get away with it... okay well maybe not an APPLE product but u get the idea :P

its a shame but it really is rampant, i can show you a few cases of ads ripping off artists if you want for a story, one off the top of my head is really obvious for a mental health ad

bhudism teaches that there are no original ideas... scary concept that keeps designers awake at night..

VC

Posted October 18, 2007 1:31 AM

No, K.dalo means that SONY rhymes with Phony. And i agree.

MadHatter

Posted October 18, 2007 2:11 AM

I dunno, guys. I just did a cursory review of KozyDan's work (I had never heard of him before today, forgive me), but I don't see a direct corellation between his work and Sony's ad. I will grant you that if Sony or their marketing company did, in fact, contact KozyDan before hand, then that is pretty damning evidence, but again, I don't see a direct link between his work and the ad.

That's like saying that any ad that uses a bull in it infringes upon Merrill Lunch marketing. KozyDan's bunnies are typically drawn in a faux traditional Japanese style. They are typically white, from the work I saw. And the Tsunami everyone seems to refer to was done near Mount Fuji, in KozyDan's work.

Are they similar? Maybe. But damningly so, I just don't buy it. Bear in mind, I too am an artist, so I have predelictions towards protecting artists copyright. At the same time, I realize that if someone else draws a bunny, it does not prevent me from drawing a bunny, or photographing a bunny, or painting a bunny, etc.

Jannis Gundermann

Posted October 18, 2007 7:24 AM

That is a pretty bold rip of another artists work. Then again I don't know whether or not Sony is telling the truth about them knowing about it or not...
I remember that a few years ago an American fast food company asked an ad agency to create some billboard ads and they came up with a great concept, the fast food company then dumped the agency went to another agency and told them to do exactly the same concept that the other agency came up with. Obviously withholding the information that this has been done before. The concept was used for billboard ads, and the works later in the campaign.
Once aired, the first agency, that originally came up with the concept, sued the second agency because it should have been in their interest to check whether or not this has been down before.

In the end the first agency won the lawsuit and got something around US$48Million (based on the revenue generated by the fast food company during the time the ads ran).

Why am I telling you this? Because it happens more often than we would like to admit, and while in this case it would have been much easier to proof that the concept isn't new because it has actually been published before it still is a slippery slope.

Personally I would sue Sony & the agency that came up with this TVC.
Then again we'll just have to wait and see what KozyDan will do.

Lainie

Posted April 17, 2008 5:02 PM

I've seen a few "Fony" graffiti around my area - some even have stencils that look like the Sony typeface.
i suppose stuff like this will just fuel it.

jas

Posted May 5, 2008 8:01 AM

Hey you silly bastard the advertising company should be blamed. Do i also smell a hint of racism because Sony are not an American company?.

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