Dive Brief:
- According to Fortune, Nespresso has taken legal action against Espresso Club, a competitor based in Israel, for TV ads that mock its boutique experience with a George Clooney look-alike.
- Clooney has been a spokesman for Nespresso since 2006.
- Nespresso alleges in its suit that consumers who see the commercial may be confused. Further, the company said it took legal action "prevent customers from being misled," the Associated Press reports.
Dive Insight:
Nespresso has taken a major step against a competitor by taking Espresso Club to court over a TV commercial featuring an actor who bears a strong resemblance to their spokesman, George Clooney.
Here is the ad spot in question:
As part of the legal action, Nespresso claims that consumers might be misled by the ad which mocks the boutique coffee experience that Nespresso promotes in its messaging. The ad opens with a disclaimer that the actor featured in the ad is not George Clooney. The lawsuit is for $50,000 in damages and a demand for Espresso Club to stop running the TV ad.