According to Ad Age, We Are Gigantic, a MDC Partners-backed ad shop born earlier this year out of the now-defunct Margeotes Fertitta Powell, is being sued by Gigantic Marketing, a two-year-old New York-based marketing firm.
I can’t argue the merits of the case (please use our comments area if you can), but I will offer this. When Ad Age calls you up for an interview, don’t say this:
“We don’t really know who this other company is and we don’t see any confusion between what we do and what they do.”
Translation: I’m Neil Powell, fools. I’m someone. My name once graced the masthead of an important agency. And you dare to challenge me?
[DISCLAIMER] I’ve never met Mr. Powell. My reaction here is to his words, as presented by the Gray Lady.
[UPDATE] Danny G. has this to add…
Boy, I’m getting old. Because I remember the last big spat over a cool agency name:
Jackhammer — the growing ad agency spun off from The Richards Group in 1995 — is hoping to spark interest from business execs with a new name: Pyro.
The switch comes after Birmingham, Ala., ad man Chris Goldschmidt notified the Dallas ad shop that his $2.8 million agency had been using the Jackhammer name since 1995. The Dallas shop agreed to drop the moniker after months of discussion.
“Since we are continuing to gain status in the international arena, it didn’t make sense for us to share an identity,” said Todd Tilford, a Pyro principal.
While “We Are Gigantic” and “Gigantic Marketing” are different, cases like this often depend on whether potential clients can legitimately be confused about the two. Whoever lawyers up the most and the best will likely prevail.
