MARKETING 3.0. suggests that Arabic Melody ads are copy-cats to the UK VW ads. I don't see it.

I've been asked to "retweet this far and wide", over on Advertiser in Arabia blog, the author whose goal is to "establish myself as a provocative MarCom voice" is pointing out the similarities between the UK VW Cinema campaign to a set of ads from Leo Burnett, Cairo for client Melody. With extra exclamation marks. Three to be exact.

The Egyptian ads open with a super stating the year- ١٩٩٥ and ١٩٨٥ - that's 1995 and 1985 for those who don't read Arabic numbers, a little thing I picked up when living in Jeddah only so that I could remind my dad when to 'slow down, we're not on the autobahn' as he suffered from lead foot most of his life. The VW ads open with a super stating "Volkswagen presents".

The VW spots are testimonials where people inspired by cinema share how said inspiration changed their life. Let's look at the ads, shall we?

The VW film ads have a man who invents a new religion based on a movie, a young kid so inspired by Willy Wonka he wants to be a magician, and a self-described small fat guy who saw Rocky and became a power-lifting muscle-man, Charles Atlas style.

Here's the Dudeism dude.
Volkswagen Independent Cinema - Dudeism - (2009) :60 (UK)

The Egyptian Melody ads? I'm not sure what is going on in them, because I can't follow much of the dialogue, but it seems to me these guys are pitching Egyptian versions of Hollywood films. These are not inspired people-testimonials about how films changed their lives is it? The only similar parts that I can see are that both campaigns involve famous Hollywood Blockbusters in some fashion.

In this one, they even picked the same world-famous movie - namely "Rocky".

So, not really a badlander now, is it? And since when, exactly, was Rocky ever anywhere near independent cinema VW?

Nice try, but no Oscar.