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Mars Incorporated is being sued for alleged idea theft of Addams Family M&M’s commercials. The idea was rejected, so how did these commercials hit national airwaves making millions for the launch of M&M’s Dark Chocolate?
Mars Incorporated is being sued for alleged idea theft of Addams Family M&M’s commercials. The idea was rejected, so how did these commercials hit national airwaves making millions for the launch of M&M’s Dark Chocolate?
Mars Incorporated is being sued for alleged idea theft of Addams Family M&M’s commercials. The idea was rejected, so how did these commercials hit national airwaves making millions for the launch of M&M’s Dark Chocolate?
San Diego, CA, March 31, 2008 - Remember those very clever M&M’s commercials that used the classic characters from the 60's television show "The Addams Family"? Bonnie Vent, owner of Genesis Creations Entertainment pitched the idea of using “The Addams Family” cast members with M&M’s classic characters to Mars Snackfood US, LLC.This occurred during a DVD promotional campaign with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and the original cast members from the series. Ms. Vent represented: Lisa Loring (Wednesday) Ken Weatherwax (Pugsley) and Felix Silla (Cousin Itt) on the Addams Family Volume 1 DVD release.
On March 13, 2008, Vent, a California-based freelance entertainment broker, filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Mars Snackfood US, LLC (which makes M&M’s candies) and its parent company, Mars, Incorporated, for the misappropriation of an advertising idea to cross-promote Addams Family characters and M&M’s candies.The Complaint, filed by Ms. Vent’s attorney, Kevin T. Mulhearn of Orangeburg, New York, seeks at least $5 million in compensatory damages.
The Complaint claims that in August, 2006, Ms. Vent, pitched to Defendants’ Media Buyer a specific idea for a cross-promotion between Addams Family characters and M&M’s candies for Halloween.Although this idea was supposedly rejected, in or about April, 2007, Mars released a series of wildly popular and well-received commercials which featured M&M’s chocolate candies transmogrified to resemble the cast of the Addams Family television program, and featured the famous Addams Family theme song, complete with finger snaps.
Both Addams Family and M&Ms are very popular at Halloween time which is when the DVD was released. The Addams Family promotional idea with M&M’s was turned down by a representative of the company but several months later the Addams Family commercials appeared with national advertising spots. No compensation was provided for the idea that made millions of dollars for Mars, Incorporated to promote their new M&M’s Dark Chocolate brand. "You would think a family friendly company such as Mars, Incorporated would not take such advantage of the little guy. Classic television stars are always getting the raw end of the deal and this is yet another example", says Vent.
Bonnie Vent and her attorney Kevin T. Mulhearn, Esq. are available for interview regarding this matter.
This press release has been picked up by the following: NY Post, UPI, TMZ
