Just in time for Christmas Eve, an environmental group known as “Save the Earth Enterprises” has filed a lawsuit against Honda Motor Corp. U.S. and its ad agency RPA. The lawsuit points to the use of the trademarked slogan, “Save the Earth” without permission in a recent ad campaign.
According to the lawsuit, Honda used the trademarked slogan on the shirt of a an actor portraying a hippie as he exited his 1970-something Civic and then continued through time-lapse footage across the decades. The group, Save the Earth Enterprises, says it sent Honda cease-and-desist-letters without acknowledgment from Honda or its ad agency, RPA.
Save the Earth founder, Neal Pargman, states that he and his organization do not want anything to do with the organization (Honda). Pargman said, “The Honda ad campaign confused people into thinking that we endorsed Honda or were affiliated with Honda. We aren’t affiliated with them and don’t endorse them.”
The lawsuit is asking that the profits from the ad campaign be given to the Save the Earth foundation, and that the ad campaign is stopped from further air time.
