Did Overstock.com Totally Steal This Commercial Idea from Lexus?
The time has arrived where retailers release their most creative holiday commercials in order to convince consumers to buy their merchandise, either through humor or maybe compassion. It happens in every industry, including online retailers and car dealerships. In what could be a mere instance of coincidence, Lexus and Overstock.com have released two very similar commercials within just one day of each other.
Lexus December to Remember Commercial: “Mall Santa”
In the Lexus commercial (which was uploaded on November 14, 2016), a young boy is seen on Santa’s lap, stating that he’d like a new Lexus IS, while his father is off to the side, coaching him to mention the additional features desired on the vehicle.
Overstock.com Holiday Commercial 2016: “Easier Way”
Now let’s take a close look at the commercial from Overstock.com, which was uploaded on November 15, 2016. A young girl is seen on Santa’s lap, requesting a buffet table from the big man, while her mother coaches her from the side, ensuring that she is also mentioning the additional features desired.
Coincidence? Possible. Creative thievery? Also possible. In both commercials, Santa has an incredulous look on his face that screams, “Really?” while the commercial narrators mention how easy it is to get the deals you want, without exploiting your children.
Let’s take another look at the evidence.
It’s still unclear if someone at the Overstock.com creative team played spy and was able to sneak into a Lexus creative meeting, or if the opposite happened and Lexus was just smarter about it and released their version a day sooner.
Ford Holiday Commercial 2015: “Naughty or Nice”
Now, this isn’t the first time a child has asked Santa for something so ridiculous. A couple years ago, Ford released a commercial featuring two children video chatting with Santa, asking him for new Ford vehicles (without their parents being weird in the background).
All in all, it’s very possible that this was all just a simple coincidence. But I’ve got my eyes on both of these companies for another “coincidence” in the near future.
Ben never thought he’d be writing about cars for a living, but here he is, knowing more about the Kia Stinger than he’d care to admit. When he’s not devoting his time to researching engine specs and other oh-so-exciting car details, he can be found enjoying time with his wife and dogs. See more articles by Ben.