More flies in the honey

After seeing Grey Auckland's Cannes award-winning ad for No Bugs insect spray, I thought I had seen something very similar before, besides the Gary Larson cartoon. Combing through Luerzer's Archive, I found it. Compare them for yourself.

So now besides being a Gary Larson knock-off, the ad is a knock off of a Peugeot ad 5 years earlier. Dabitch had posted in the original badlander of this ad: Craig Davis, chairman of the Axis Awards, was not convinced the idea was plagiarized. "We all know what happens. You read a book and three months later it pops into your head from the subconscious." he also told adage that he was surprised it had come through so far without anyone spotting the similarity. Todd McCraken one half of the team said the idea stems from an old joke which goes as follows: "What's the last thing a fly sees when it hits your car windscreen? It's arse." And now we know that someone made use of this old joke. In 1998. And it was in Luerzers. Did someone not realize this? I guess the folks at Grey don't have a subscription.

Here's the "new" one:

The last thing a bug ever sees. No Bugs insect spray.

Here's the "old" one:

What a beautiful way to go.

Ad for Peugeot Cars created by Duval Guillaume, Bruessels.
AD: Philippe de Leuster CW: Jens Mortier
Photographer: Koen de Muynck Issue 6.98- yes that's 1998 ;)

I have to say I'm rather surprised none of the judges at Cannes thought it was familiar.