The discussion on plagiarism and copy-paste creativity in advertising continues with this post. Looks like my earlier post has struck a chord, with the kind of response I have received. Everyone has, at least once in their life, had their idea stolen, borrowed, killed only to be resurrected again with someone else’s name on it.

An interesting, almost ironic, thing happened right after I posted my content online. Zeid Nasser of MediaMe.com, a friend and fellow ad blogger in the region, re-posted my post, almost in its entirety, on his home page with a link back to my blog. (Thanks, Zeid.) The post has been titled ‘Plagiarism in the Middle East on the rise‘ which I have asked Zeid to reconsider since my post is about the ad industry not the Middle East. Interesting how far one post can go on the net, isn’t it?

I was also asked by a member of the Arabic media to comment on this issue. Good to know the interest generated by this theme. As I had written, plagiarism is a relevant issue that needs to be talked about. The post might have made some creative directors uncomfortable. Cool.

The most amazing part has been the mail sent in by Indra Sinha. He is a copywriting legend and a Booker Prize nominee who needs no introduction. His work for Amnesty International and Metropolitan Police will have any ad lover mesmerised. I would even go so far as to say that Indra is what young copywriters may want to be when they grow up. And this is what Indra wrote to me that I would like to share with you:

When I was fairly new to advertising I learned that a senior copywriter at the small agency I started at was toting round some of my work in her portfolio. I wasn’t angry. It was a sort of compliment. I felt sorry for her, if she had nothing better of her own.

Later I understood the fear that older people in creative departments feel every day. You have a large mortgage, children at expensive schools, your daughter wants a horse, but the business is in the doldrums, people are being fired and you have to keep justifying your salary because in the words of the old advertising adage, “You’re only as good as your last ad”.

You are meanwhile pestered by a stream of youngsters begging for a chance to show what they can do. They are willing to work for nothing and will sleep on the office floor. They bring portfolios full of speculative ads for the agency’s most famous campaigns. Occasionally there is even something good.

I’m sure that under those circumstances some people did succumb to the temptation to adopt, or adapt, a good idea. Maybe they didn’t even realise they were doing it.

Advertising ideas famously have many parents. It’s hard when projects are discussed collaboratively over and over again to remember exactly where each thought came from.

Ideas emerge out of one another; as another adland cliché has it, “An idea doesn’t care who has it”. Clients and agency bosses don’t either, but with so much at stake, people in creative departments are jealously protective of anything that looks remotely like an original notion. They go out of their way to avoid being accused of plagiarism and have long memories for famous work.

But sometimes not long enough…

- Indra Sinha responding to my post

Indra found my blog post on plagiarism inspiring. “It has kicked off a chain of thought which will lead into movies and literature in future posts,” he has written in his email. In fact, Indra’s put up a fresh post and videos on this topic on his blog.

You’ll also find the link to get Indra’s latest book ‘Animal’s People‘ on his website (www.indrasinha.com) proceeds of which go to support Bhopal Medical Appeal. Indra dedicates much of his time now for social causes, and if you have followed his ads in the earlier days, you’d know how powerful his writing for social and humanitarian causes always has been.

Why am I writing abut Indra so much? Because to me, my friends, this is the other face of the advertising business which we need to see more of. The humane, caring, compasoinate face. Of rare people who haven’t sold their souls out for promoting just about anything that arrives on their desk as a brief.

We’ve seen enough of the fake, insecure, plagiarising peacocks and prima donnas in our agencies. Let’s see and showcase some real gentlemen (and gentle women). People who are using their skills and talent to make a difference, not just prostituting it to the highest bidder.

Do you know people in the ad business who have a strong enough conscience to say ‘No’ to creating ads for products that they know are harmful or injurious to health? Tell me about them. Let’s showcase them in this blog.

Do you hear a voice in the head saying ‘Don’t’ when you are asked to write an ad with claims that aren’t true?

Would you make an ad for any client as long as you are paid well and on time?

Do you use your creativity to do more than just create ads and sell stuff?

Comments, email and phone lines now open…

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