Did Dannon rip off JBT?

Oikos Greek Yoghurt landed in some hot water during the US Super Bowl game with a seemingly harmless commercial for its “fruit on the bottom” and honey flavoured yoghurts.
Unfortunately, the upbeat music they chose for the commercial has ticked off a famous Australian band who claims that the song sounds “extremely similar” to their 2003 hit single.
SEE OTHER STORIES FROM THE WDM CONTENT NETWORK:
- Mr Smith, Your Promotion Awaits
- Chinese, Business Travel Drivers for Flying to Australia
- Australia Adopts Full-Body Scanning at Airports
The similarity of the commercial’s song to John Butler Trio’s song ‘Zebra’ was brought to the band’s attention via Facebook and Twitter when fans, after viewing the commercial last Sunday (Monday in Australia), took to the social media sites to voice their recognition of the tune.
John Butler Trio has sought legal advice to determine if they have legal grounds to act upon the yoghurt company’s alleged “rip-off.”
According to Australian Food News, Oikos, who is owned by the US yoghurt giant Dannon, released the following statement on its Facebook page the day after the commercial aired in Australia: “A question about the music in our Super Bowl commercial has been brought to our attention. We are working fully to understand and address the situation. We apologise for any concerns this has caused John Butler Trio’s band members and fans.”
View the commercial below:
Featured Articles
Nirvik Singh, Global COO and President International of Grey Group, cultivating culture and utilising AI to enhance rather than replace human creativity
On a mission to accelerate the adoption of sustainable energy solutions, US$30 billion Chinese tech firm Longi is not just selling solar – but using it
Armed with an ambitious billion-dollar strategy, Samsung is on track to achieve net zero carbon emissions company-wide by 2050 – but challenges persist