Photo: Instagram / Philipp Plein
Whatever the Ferrari brand stands for, it’s not a lifestyle of flashy kicks, designer clothes, and naked models promoting them while twerking on expensive cars. Lol, except that it occasionally is.
Ferrari is taking issue with a famous and very affluent fashion designer who’s been using his own personal fleet of cars to promote his creations on Instagram. Philipp Plein happens to own one Ferrari 812 Superfast in bright green and he recently used it for promo shots for his latest line of kicks, which includes the same color option.
Since the two matched, he placed the shoes on the Ferrari, snapped a photo and posted it to social media. In addition, he brought out his other cars, placed color-coordinated shoes on them, brought out two semi-nude models and had them twerking while pretending to be washing the cars. Only Ferrari took exception with that and fired off a cease and desist to Plein, arguing that such a tacky lifestyle is not in accordance with the Ferrari brand.
“Ferrari’s trademarks and model cars are associated in your pictures with a lifestyle totally inconsistent with Ferrari’s brand perception, in connection with performers making sexual innuendos and using Ferrari’s cars as props in a manner which is per se distasteful,” the letter reads. “The behavior tarnishes the reputation of Ferrari’s brands and causes Ferrari further material damage. In fact, the undesired connection between Ferrari’s trademarks on the one hand, and Philipp Plein’s line of shoes (and the questionable manner in which they are promoted) on the other hand, is interfering negatively with the rights enjoyed by the Ferrari’s selected licenses.”
Ferrari offers Plein 48 hours to delete all such content from his social media and websites, or else. Yes, they’re hinting at a lawsuit.
Because Plein lives for social media, he also posted the “love letter” that he received from the Italian-based law firm that represents the carmaker, while lamenting the lack of respect. He says he’s bought 4 brand new Ferraris in the past 10 years, including one for his mother. He is, as such, a loyal customer and should be treated with a bit more respect and consideration.
Then, that aside, he should be able to do whatever he pleased with his car, since it’s his. In fact, he deems the cease and desist letter an act of blackmail, and he’s threatening a lawsuit on his own.
The 48-hour timeframe has passed and Plein still has the photos and the videos on his Instagram. Ferrari hasn’t sent him another warning, so maybe they weren’t that serious about the lawsuit.
And here’s the funniest part in the entire story: while Ferrari was elegantly foaming at the mouth over an association they did not want, BMW quietly slid into Plein’s timeline with a comment inviting the same type of association. “Try out a personalized BMW M8 (we offer a whole range of beautiful greens) and put your shoes on the car at any time,” they write.
Because a free endorsement is the best kind of (free) publicity.
Since the two matched, he placed the shoes on the Ferrari, snapped a photo and posted it to social media. In addition, he brought out his other cars, placed color-coordinated shoes on them, brought out two semi-nude models and had them twerking while pretending to be washing the cars. Only Ferrari took exception with that and fired off a cease and desist to Plein, arguing that such a tacky lifestyle is not in accordance with the Ferrari brand.
“Ferrari’s trademarks and model cars are associated in your pictures with a lifestyle totally inconsistent with Ferrari’s brand perception, in connection with performers making sexual innuendos and using Ferrari’s cars as props in a manner which is per se distasteful,” the letter reads. “The behavior tarnishes the reputation of Ferrari’s brands and causes Ferrari further material damage. In fact, the undesired connection between Ferrari’s trademarks on the one hand, and Philipp Plein’s line of shoes (and the questionable manner in which they are promoted) on the other hand, is interfering negatively with the rights enjoyed by the Ferrari’s selected licenses.”
Ferrari offers Plein 48 hours to delete all such content from his social media and websites, or else. Yes, they’re hinting at a lawsuit.
Because Plein lives for social media, he also posted the “love letter” that he received from the Italian-based law firm that represents the carmaker, while lamenting the lack of respect. He says he’s bought 4 brand new Ferraris in the past 10 years, including one for his mother. He is, as such, a loyal customer and should be treated with a bit more respect and consideration.
Then, that aside, he should be able to do whatever he pleased with his car, since it’s his. In fact, he deems the cease and desist letter an act of blackmail, and he’s threatening a lawsuit on his own.
The 48-hour timeframe has passed and Plein still has the photos and the videos on his Instagram. Ferrari hasn’t sent him another warning, so maybe they weren’t that serious about the lawsuit.
And here’s the funniest part in the entire story: while Ferrari was elegantly foaming at the mouth over an association they did not want, BMW quietly slid into Plein’s timeline with a comment inviting the same type of association. “Try out a personalized BMW M8 (we offer a whole range of beautiful greens) and put your shoes on the car at any time,” they write.
Because a free endorsement is the best kind of (free) publicity.
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