The Iceberg

First Hyori and now Hankook Tire.

A few days ago I posted a story about Hankook Tire’s clever ad that stretched the bounds of Korea’s sexual mores. It turns out that it was a “worn” idea. (Badabing!)

The company has pulled the ad under threat of plagiarism. Goodyear Canada had already used the “tire as condom” concept in 2004 for it’s Dunlop brand and in fact won an award for it. According to the story in the Chosun Ilbo, an insider with the company said Hankook was “unable to ascertain whether the ad was plagiarized.”

I’m not sure what to think about this. On the one hand, I’m sure that insiders at tire companies keep tabs on what their competitors are doing, so therefore this seems to be a blatant rip-off. Damn you Hankook! Why did you do this to me? And I loved your racing girls so much! On the other hand, no doubt the ad was created by an advertising agency, which would be less likely to have come across the Goodyear ad. Okay, I’ll cut you some slack. But I’m so confused.

One good thing to come from the Hankook/Hyori mess: I’ve learned how to spell plagiarism.