Andre Yoskowitz
7 Oct 2012 22:56
In 2010, Sony began a new marketing campaign that included comedic actor Jerry Lambert as Kevin Butler, an alleged Sony VP of whatever the company was marketing in that ad.
The character and the ads were an instant hit, and Sony has stuck with them ever since, letting Butler introduce most new features and items for the PlayStation 3.
Most recently, however, Lambert took a job with Bridgestone for their "Game On" promotion. In the commercial, Lambert is portrayed playing a Nintendo Wii console. As one can imagine, Sony is not happy.
Sony Entertainment has now filed suit against Bridgestone Tires and Wildcat Creek, the ad agency behind the commercials. The company says Kevin Butler is their intellectual property and seeing Lambert playing a Wii will confuse consumers and hurt the brand.
Bridgestone pulled the ads last month after just a few days live, following the filing of the suit.
Says Sony: "Sony Computer Entertainment America filed a lawsuit against Bridgestone and Wildcat Creek, Inc. on September 11. The claims are based on violations of the Lanham Act, misappropriation, breach of contract and tortious interference with a contractual relationship. We invested significant resources in bringing the Kevin Butler character to life and he's become an iconic personality directly associated with PlayStation products over the years. Use of the Kevin Butler character to sell products other than those from PlayStation misappropriates Sony's intellectual property, creates confusion in the market, and causes damage to Sony."