German fashion designer Philipp Plein had posted an image on Instagram showcasing his new shoes placed just above the Ferrari wordmark on his 812 Superfast, and Ferrari is not at all happy. The Maranello-based sports car maker’s lawyer sent Plein a letter, asking him to take down the image within 48 hours of the letter’s receipt.
After the original picture, Philipp posted a couple of video clips of his shoes on top of his Ferrari 812 Superfast, one of which had a model washing a Lamborghini Urus alongside the aforementioned 812. It is unclear whether the composition of the shot or the video clips that made the lawyer send the letter.
“In these pictures, Ferrari’s trademarks are used for promotional purposes of your brand and products, unlawfully appropriating the goodwill attached to them. Your behavior, however, is even more harmful and serious in this case.
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,” Ferrari’s lawyer said in the letter.
“This 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’re promoted) on the other hand, is interfering negatively with the rights enjoyed by Ferrari’s selected licensees which are exclusively entitled to use Ferrari’s trademarks to produce and promote the line of shoes Ferrari branded,” the letter added.
Obviously, the letter didn’t go well with the fashion designer and he asked his followers to share an image with shoes on their exotic cars. In another post, Philipp said, “The CEO of Ferrari Louis C. Camilleri should think twice before he let his lawyers send a letter like this to a valuable customer who bought 4 brand new Ferraris in the last 10 years!!! I am still speechless about the unprofessional and aggressive behavior of the company towards its clients! This is a clear Blackmail!!!! I will not remove the pictures and I will start legal action against the company Ferrari for this unprofessional behavior! I expect an official apology from Mr. Louis C. Camilleri!”
BMW M and Pininfarina’s Michael Perschke came out in support of the designer. This is not the first time Ferrari didn’t like its clients messing with its trademarks. In 2014, Deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman) received a letter from Ferrari’s lawyer over custom “Purrari” badges on his 458.
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