Under Armour AI-powered ad plagiarises earlier work

Occurred: March 2024

Can you improve this page?
Share your insights with us

An 'AI-powered' advert featuring boxer Anthony Joshua came under fire for reusing others' work without credit.

Ad director Des Walker said on Instragam that he had created the 'first Ai-powered sports commercial' in 'three weeks flat' by combining Ai video, Ai photo, 3D CGI, 2D VFX, Motion graphics, 35mm film, digital video and advances in Ai voiceover.'

However, Walker was quickly accused of plagiarism by other creatives who pointed out that his ad in large part repackaged an ad created by Gustav Johansson and André Chementoff two years previously, neither of whom were acknowledged in the ad spot.

Walker said Under Armour and production company 72 and Sunny owned the rights to the footage and officially requested and licenced their use.

According to Techcrunch, the fracas saw creatives 'decry what they perceived as another step down the road of AI not replacing what they do but being used by companies to take advantage of them.'

Databank

Operator: Under Armour
Developer:  
Country: UK
Sector: Business/professional services
Purpose: Create advert
Technology: 
Issue: Cheating/plagiarism; Ethics/values
Transparency: Marketing