Original: Al Bir Society
Agency: Full Stop Saudi Arabia – 2007
Original: Rustomani
Agency: Classic Partnership
UAE – 2008
Awards: Shortlisted at the 2008 Dubai Lynx
Although at the first glance one might be lead to think of these two ads as identical twins due to a number of factors which include the visual encoding of the message, the similarity in art direction, the proximity of the countries that the ads were published in and the short time span between publication dates; however – a closer examination proves they are not only communicating a different messages but also to a different target audiences. Al Rustomani ad is visually communicating the benefit “speed” of money transfer – so the banknote visual is relevant as it reveals a different currency on the flip side. The Al Bir Society is visually communicating the benefit “tenfold” return on investment by being charitable – so the banknote visual is also relevant as one side of the banknote shows the invested 10 Riyals and the flip side shows 100 Riyals. I cannot help but wonder what would have been the result if both ads have entered the same competition. In my opinion the Al Rustomani ad is a winner.
Plagiarism: The abuse of another’s original work by copying it and passing it off as one’s own. As defined in Alastair Campbell book titled The Designer’s Lexicon. Page: 293 ISBN:0-304-35505-4
A copycat is a person that mimics or repeats the behavior of another. The term is often derogatory, suggesting a lack of originality. The expression may derive from kittens that learned by imitating the behaviors of their mothers. – Wikipedia
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