This Superbowl ad has landed Hyundai in hot water with the famously litigious French fashion brand Louis Vuitton.
The commercial shows that the Hyundai Sonata is a luxury item available at an affordable price by presenting a yacht parked in an ordinary neighborhood, cops chowing down on caviar, and street athletes using a Louis Vuitton logoed ball. The ball is on screen for just a second or two, but it’s enough to have LV up in arms. The brand has filed a trademark infringement suit in Manhattan Federal Court, commenting that its logo is “famous and incontestable.”
It’s certainly not the first time Louis Vuitton has launched legal action to protect its brand. The label has sued musicians Britney Spears and Danity Kane, action website eBay, Google, and a group raising funds to assist people in Darfur. If charities aren’t even safe from Louis Vuitton, I can’t imagine that Hyundai will be!
