Female execs join forces for Time’s Up, Crocs loses IP battle: International round-up
Plus Amazon’s Japan office raided by nation’s fair trade regulator and why Burger King staged a car fire.
Female ad execs launch Time’s Up advertising
Almost 200 female executives in the US have joined forces to launch ‘Time’s Up advertising’, designed to help tackle discrimination and sexual harassment.
The group of women have signed a petition to launch the movement before a letter was posted to the Time’s Up Advertising website Monday, claiming they will aim “to drive new policies, practices, decisions, and tangible actions that result in more balanced, diverse, and accountable leadership; address workplace discrimination, harassment, and abuse; and create equitable cultures within our agencies.”
Women including, the chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi NY, Andrea Diquez, and the chief operating officer of Publicis Worldwide, Nathalie Fagnan, have signed the “letter of solidarity”, according to reports.
The Time’s Up harassment campaign has also been formed in conjunction with a legal aid fundraiser.
The original Time’s Up was founded on 1 January by women in the entertainment industry, campaigning for those who do manual labour and other “underrepresented groups” to be treated equally.
Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep and Reese Witherspoon are among actors who have donated up to $500,000.
Crocs loses battle to protect clog design
Footwear maker Crocs has lost its battle to protect its namesake plastic clogs in the EU.
According to an EU court, rival shoemakers had already seen the design long before Crocs’ application was made.
The case was brought forward by the US company against an EU Intellectual Property Office, which decided against legal protection for the shoe’s design after a rival French shoe manufacturer appealed the patent in 2013.
The EU patent office says Crocs’ design had already been made public in 2003 on its website and at a boat show in Florida, therefore it “lacked novelty”.
Under EU regulations any design that has been made public in the 12 months prior to a patent application cannot be given a patent.
Crocs has two months to decide whether it wants to appeal the ruling.
READ MORE: EU judges decide against Crocs in blow for ‘Marmite of shoes’
Amazon’s Japan offices raided by fair trade regulator
Amazon’s headquarters in Tokyo has been raided by Japan’s fair trade regulator under suspicion of anti-trust violation.
According to local media, the retail giant is accused of allegedly asking suppliers to foot part of the cost of selling their products at a discount on Amazon Japan. Amazon Japan says it is cooperating with investigations.
However, this is not the first time Amazon Japan has been investigated for anti-trust breaches. In 2016, the nation’s offices were raided by Japan’s Fair Trade Commission under suspicion it had required suppliers to sell their products on Amazon Japan at the same or lower cost compared to other sites they were listed on.
READ MORE: Regulators raid Amazon Japan on suspicion of anti-trust violation
Chinese shoppers can test Nike shoes via video game
Nike is allowing Chinese consumers to test trainers via a new video game. The company has linked treadmills to a Super Mario-inspired video game where shoppers can test their new trainers while running past Mt Fuji and bouncing over pyramids.
Created by Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai, the video game called ‘Reactland’, lets shoppers choose a pair of trainers and create their own avatar. They then take to the treadmill where they have three minutes to score as many points as possible – determined by how far they run.
Players can also use a hand-held controller to allow them to jump across the game’s obstacles.
Nike shoppers can try the game in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
READ MORE: Nike lets Chinese runners test trainers as players in giant video game
Why Burger King staged a car fire
Burger King staged a car fire on a highway in in California on Good Samaritan Day in the US in order to see who would stop to help. Those who did were offered a special treat –a burger cooked on a grill in the car bonnet and a crown.
The entire scenario was filmed by the side of a road at Vasquez Canyon in California and was produced by David Miami. According to the burger brand, the good samaritans who stopped “are real”.
In a statement Burger King says: “The film showcases the genuine outpouring of concern from those who pulled over to lend a hand, quickly turning to relief as they realised the flames were from a grill, and not an engine fire.
“These good samaritans were prepared to help in any way possible, from running up with fire extinguishers to attempting to douse the flames with a handful of sand.”.
