Audi China and M&C Saatchi accused of plagiarism in ad campaign

Automaker Audi and London-based advertising agency M&C Saatchi have apologised after accusations have emerged around plagiarism.

The situation arose after a well-known Douyin blogger named “Beida Mange” accused the brand of citing his poem without consent. Mange said the poem was written by him and called for the brand to ask permission from the original author when citing their work. He also condemned the brand of failing to properly communicate with him before using his poem for the ad. Mange currently has 400 million followers on his Douyin platform.

Since the accusation, Audi confirmed the removal of the video ad from all online channels and apologised for causing trouble to Lau, Mange and other related parties. The statement from Audi also stated the campaign idea was raised and led by M&C Saatchi, but the brand will deal with the copyright infringement issues in due course. The statement added that Audi respects original work and intellectual property rights, the brand also promised to deliver more creativity to their future marketing campaigns.

Meanwhile, M&C Saatchi issued a statement apologising for using Mange’s original content without consent and communications with the copyright owner. The agency also admitted its lack of copyright awareness, and expressed its deep regret for causing Lau, Mange and Audi huge troubles.  

The ad, which sparked heated discussion, showed Hong Kong popstar Andy Lau Tak-wah on the back seat of an Audi car, delivering a monologue about Xiaoman – the second solar term of summer, according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

As the main model featured in the ad, Lau reinstated his stance via his official support club: "I have 100% respect for originality. In this incident, I am deeply regret for the problems that the advertising team had during the innovation process and the trouble it caused to Mange. Audi and the agency are working on the issue.”

Related articles
M&C Saatchi Spencer reorganises business with 2 new collaborations
M&C Saatchi Indonesia beefs up strategy team with new chief