Nespresso suing George lookalike advert

Nespresso sues rival over George Clooney lookalike [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

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Nespresso sues Israeli rival over George Clooney lookalike advert

• Clare Hutchison
  
• Friday 22 January 2016
  

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]  Star of the show: The actor in the Espresso Club advert has been likened to George Clooney Espresso Club/YouTube  
Nestlé's high end coffee brand Nespresso is reportedly suing an Israeli rival for using an actor with a resemblance to its own ambassador George Clooney in an advert.

Israel's Espresso Club put out an advert which shows a silver-haired Clooney lookalike walking out of a shop carrying what appears to be a Nespresso bag.

He is then stopped by a passerby who informs him of the benefits of Espresso club.

At one point a disclaimer flashes up on the screen saying the man in the film "is not George Clooney".


Nespresso Israel said it has taken legal action to "prevent customers from being misled", according to the Associated Press.
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Inspiration? George Clooney is the star of Nespresso commercials (Picture: Getty Images) 
It wants the ad, which can be viewed on YouTube, to be taken down, as well as $50,000 (£35,127) in damages.
Espresso Club told the news agency that the tongue-in-cheek ad and the Clooney character were meant to target customers looking for a more "informal" coffee experience.
Nestlé did not immediately return the Standard's request for comment.
Espresso Club's lawyer Zohar Lande from Barnea & Co said in a statement the company was "confident that the Israeli Court will reject Nespresso's claim" and that the ad uses a "common practice" within the advertising world.
Nestlé has also been in court for another of its brands this week.
Its long-fought battle against Cadbury was dealt a blow when the High Court denied its right to trademark a four-finger chocolate bar, based on its KitKat, in the UK.
Nestlé has vowed to appeal that decision.