DB and Saatchi & Saatchi have done a good turn with a solid dose of warm and fuzzies for the Bethlehem Community Church after it got stung recently for using the trademarked Tui design for its own billboards.
The church has been using the Tui format for eight years and had successfully flown under the radar until a media person – not your correspondent, rest assured – called DB last week.
The crackdown by DB on its Tui format doesn’t look good in PR terms. Something had to be done.
Tui marketing manager Jarrod Bear got its agency Saatchi & Saatchi to come up with some spanky new billboards for the church. (See the billboards below.)
It’s not something the brewery would usually do but Mr Bear said it was warranted “in this instance”.
“We appreciate that the church’s use of our billboard format was simply designed to raise awareness of their offering and not denigrate our brand in anyway [sic].”
The church is now free to use the pro bono Saatchissimo work as it sees fit.
Reverend Jim Wallace is one stoked muffin. He said he’s delighted with the outcome and Mr Bear has invited him for a cheeky swift half.
“We are a small church and don’t have money for hiring a professional design agency. We’re thrilled that Tui has stepped in and helped us do just that.”
It seems mean on the part of DB, but the company has to protect its intellectual property.
Of course, the grand irony of the whole situation is that a Tui billboard took out the honours for most complained about billboard in 2008 with its offering: “Let’s take a moment this Christmas to think about Christ.”
Holy guacamole, Batman.
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
Saatchi & Saatchi goes to church
5669