As with the award winning subject matter contained within it’s pages, the somewhat ironically original idea behind this book is one of complete genius. Using hashtags and a website address the author ‘Joe la Pompe’ literally invites the reader to decide whether the repetition of ideas in advertising happens as a result of bare-faced plagiarism or just creative coincidence. As someone who has had a fair few of (great) ideas blatantly ripped off in both my TV and magazine career I’m more inclined to go with the theft option.
Personal bitterness aside, the book acknowledges these ambiguous origins and so we’re invited to make our own minds up on a case-by-case basis via comparing the originators alongside their imitators on the same page. So whether you’re generally fascinated by the ethics of advertising or you just love a dead clever advert then this is the book for you and like your man Picasso said ‘good artists copy, great artists steal‘. Although I’m pretty sure he nicked that one off Oscar Wilde didn’t he? Or did he? Who knows? I certainly don’t.
Buy your copy here (copy geddit?).
