This is a short follow up to my post on the Post-It note Jaguar and how 3M ripped off the idea without engaging the previous social media originator. Sharpie: whatever you have in mind regarding “effective marketing spend in bad times”, don’t muck this up by stealing the idea 1:1!
Charlie Kretzer
This is a story about a 50-year old American lawyer in Kentucky, Charlie Kratzer decorating his basement walls with amazing wall drawings, using only $10 worth of pens (ok, that sum might be underestimated for catchy headline purposes). Sharpie art happens every day, all the time in any art college or on any given doodle notepad. But this is just a very good, un-commissioned example of someone going out of their way because they like using the product.
I think Charlie might professionally be well equipped to battle it out legally, if Sharpie did hop on this story without involving him. But hopefully they see the valueof getting him onboard beforehand and start a Sharpie-up-your-wall fad (am claiming copyright for the tag line right here)!
That would definitely beat paying David Beckham gazillions to pose sucking on a pen. Especially if all you can announce is a “Stay tuned as Sharpie and David Beckham launch exciting new promotions.” Oh please….
