Fwd: Honda Accord commercial

[Chris Searles]

Just thought I'd pass this on to you guys on the list, re. the recent  
discussion on where those advertising guys in England got their idea  
for the Honda Accord commercial from. It's the answer to a mail I  
decided to send to the company that produced "Der Lauf der Dinge"  
asking them for their opinion on the matter. (My original message to  
them is quoted at the end.)

Begin forwarded message:

> From: T&C FILM <tcemail at tcfilm.ch>
> Date: Do Jun 5, 2003  11:30:48  Uhr Europe/Amsterdam
> To: <csearles at t-online.de>
> Subject: Re: Honda Accord commercial
>
> Dear Chris Searles
>
> Thank you for interest. We learned about the campaign of Honda through
> viewers in UK and US who contacted us. Either the artist nor we as the
> producer and distributor of the film have  been consulted about the  
> making
> of the ad. Of course the artists are aware of  other works of other  
> artists
> and they did not invent the chain reaction.
> Companies and ad agencies have asked for permission to use the film on
> several occasions since 1987  but for us it is an art work so we have  
> always
> say no.
>
> Please check reactions and reports in the British Media and other  
> viewers we
> have received during the last weeks
> e.g. in creative review - http://www.mad.co.uk/publication/cr/
> or in the campaign report of May 9
>
> <<MediaGuardian.co.uk  Advertising  Acclaimed Honda ad in copycat  
> row.htm>>
>
> http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/ 
> page.cfm?objectid=12844132&method=full&sit
>  eid=89488&headline=TAKE%20606
>
> http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/04/13/ 
> nhonda1
>
> Further:
> www.amazon.com <http://www.amazon.com/>  (the US one) and search for  
> The Way
> Things Go DVD and scroll down on that page and  there are some reviews  
> about
> the film e.g.:
>
> Domino-toppling for grown-ups, May 4, 2003
> Reviewer: James Wallis (see more about me)
> </exec/obidos/tg/cm/member-reviews/-/A4YXTK5EN8BVI/1/ref=cm_cr_auth/ 
> 002-8269
> 337-2029648.htm>  from London, United Kingdom
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Susa Katz
> *************************
> T&C Film AG
> Seestrasse 41a
> CH-8002 Zürich
> Tel:+41.1.202.36.22
> Fax:+41.1.202.30.05
> email: tcemail at tcfilm.ch
> www.tcfilm.ch
> *************************
>
> ---
>> Von: csearles at t-online.de (Chris Searles)
>> Datum: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 21:51:45 +0200
>> An: tcemail at tcfilm.ch
>> Betreff: Honda Accord commercial
>>
>> I'm currently taking part in a discussion on a web forum for Digital
>> Video on the Macintosh and we're debating where the British  
>> advertising
>> agency got its idea from for the new Honda Accord commercial.
>>
>> http://home.attbi.com/~bernhard36/hhonda-ad-300k.swf
>>
>> Some people are saying it goes back to games like the Mouse Trap in  
>> the
>> 60s or to drawings of a certain Rube Goldberg, whereas I maintain that
>> the ad agency obviously borrowed the idea from your film "Der Lauf der
>> Dinge", since this work must be very well known amongst creative  
>> people
>> in England, especially since it is distributed on video by the
>> Institute of Contemporary Art in London.
>>
>> Any chance of getting the word "straight from the horse's mouth" as to
>> who really inspired the Honda commercial?
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Chris Searles
>>
>>
>
>