Reference or rip-off?
The oft-praised Honda Cog ad is coming under fire, according to UK magazine Creative Review, by two Swiss artists, Peter Fischli and David Weiss (you may have seen their recent film, B�si (Kitty) at LA's MOCA). In fact, they've recently instructed their lawyer to send a letter to Honda to complain about alleged similarities between the Cog ad and their experimental 1987 art film, Der Lauf Der Dinge which takes place in a similar artists-studio setting, and documents a series of found objects setting off a complex chain reaction. Weiden + Kennedy London Creative Director Tony Davidson, who was responsible for the Cog ad does not deny seeing Der Lauf Der Dinge, but insists that "there is a difference between copying and being inspired by".