Apart from the photo usage rights issue which Adland covers here, is it really any wonder a witty wannabe designer at an outdoor company selected a picture of Paris Hilton and slapped the word “vacant” underneath her to promote the fact the billboard is available? Of course not.
Whether or not Paris Hilton is actually vacuously vacant in the head is beside the point. She (with a lot of help from the media) portrays herself that way so it is without surprise she’s become the poster girl for celebu-stupidity.
Hilton has voiced her displeasure with Wellington-based Media5 for using her image without permission. Hilton’s manager, Jamie Freed, told Stuff the billboard company could expect to her from Hilton’s legal team.
Media5’s Adam McGregor explained the use of Paris Hilton’s image saying, “We wanted to draw some attention to some of our unsold display as we expanded, so we briefed a friend who runs his own boutique agency to work up a range of creative concepts. We liked the ones he came up with using high-profile public figures the best because they were fun.We were thinking about using Winston Peters, but Paris is much prettier and she has a proven ability to laugh at herself. We assume that the agency has taken care of the rights to the image of Paris, but we will ask the question,”
McGregor also said if he does hear from Hilton’s lawyers he will likely oblige their request to remove her image as he’s not trying to offend anyone with the campaign.
PHOTO: Michael Bradley, Sunday Star TImes
