By Zuko Komisa
Insurance company Outsurance just lost a bid to get a new Hippo ad off from all platforms.
The company dragged Hippo to court after Hippo aired a parody of Outsurance’s popular advertisement.
According to OUTsurance, in the parody, Hippo was implying that their company “is overcharging customers”.
A Pretoria High Court magistrate has however dismissed the case. The insurance company has also been ordered to pay for Hippo’s legal counsels’ legal fees.
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Kaya Biz with Gugulethu Mfuphi spoke Pat Mahlangu who is the founder of Pat on Brands unpacked the judgement and what conversations this advert has sparked in the creative space.
LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION HERE:
“The advert has gotten our tongues wagging in the creative room, whether HIppo is right or wrong, but at face value, I think it is a work of genius when it comes to the work they applied.”
“However OUTsuarance has become synonymous with their ads, if you look at all the visual cues, it so OUTsuarance, it just gives it away. The drone shot, the guy on the seat, it’s the words “get OUT”.
“I see where the judge who threw the case out of court, and where they are coming from, and I guess you can say something without really saying it,” said Mahlangu.
OUTsurance took Hippo to court over its parody advert making fun of OUTsurance Saver advertisements. They even got a guy who looks like Katlego Maboe to do the Ad😂 pic.twitter.com/Ek1EmBHiGe
— Ronald Phiri (@RonaldPhiri01) September 2, 2022
Judge Mbokwe agreed with the ruling, dismissing the case for lack of urgency and ordering OUTsurance to cover all client legal expenses, including the fees for two attorneys on Monday this week.
Hippo’s CEO, Bradley Du Chenne, had the following to say:
“The point of the advert is to educate South Africans that just because an advert features a happy customer telling you how much they’re saving on their car insurance, doesn’t necessarily mean that you will save. You could possibly save more with another insurer and you’ll only find out if you are getting the best deal if you compare quotes from multiple top SA insurers side by side. That’s where http://Hippo.co.za can help. “
“Hippo is not an insurance company. It just provides a comparison tool that fetches quotes from 11 insurers (like Virseker, King Price, Pineapple, iWyze and Dotsure) and presents them to the consumer for comparison to help them make an informed decision. After that, the choice is theirs to make. While there are a few insurers missing from our platform, they have been invited and it’s their call not to participate.” wrote Mbokwe.
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