SPILL is calling out 72andSunny ad agency for the alleged “attempted theft” of their brand.
The creators of SPILL are pushing back after global ad agency 72andSunny launched a UK news platform that appears to copy the Black-owned app’s name, branding, and target audience.
On Aug. 21, SPILL Chief Growth Officer Kenya T. Parham called out 72andSunny on LinkedIn after the agency announced SPIL*, a Gen Z news platform in Europe, “built from scratch” by its Amsterdam team. The post was quickly deleted after SPILL users flooded the comments with backlash over the striking similarities, prompting Parham to slam the agency for what she called an “attempted theft.”
“They tried it, we clocked it, and instantly. And thank God the culture always keeps receipts,” Parham said in a video explaining the controversy.
She went on to note how the post no longer exists because 72andSunny removed it due to “getting cooked in the comments so bad,” Parham said.
“But thankfully, we’ve got the receipts,” she added.
With video playing behind her, Parham showed 72andSunny’s since-deleted post, which advertised SPIL* as a platform “made for young people, by young people” that offers “diverse perspectives” on today’s news and information.
“Interesting choice of words,” Parham said, also noting their claim of building SPIL* “from scratch.”
Along with being featured in numerous major news outlets like Fast Company, Mashable, TechCrunch, Business Insider, CNN, and Inc., SPILL was also recognized as Apple’s App of the Day in the App Store. Given that visibility, it’s hard to believe a global ad agency wouldn’t have known about SPILL before launching a nearly identical platform name, just swapping the second “L” for an asterisk.
Parham also pointed to SPIL*’s website, noting what she described as clear replicas of SPILL’s branding — from the font style to the bright colors on a black background and even the animated captions.
“What you’re seeing now is a screen recording of the website that 72 and Sunny put up for their cultural misappropriation of our platform,” Parham said. “A simple search on the internet would have shown you that not only does the spill app already exist, but we are already servicing diverse communities.”
Parham said the situation underscores the importance of platforms like SPILL and the representation they provide for marginalized communities.
Parham closed by sarcastically thanking 72andSunny for inspiring SPILL’s creators to launch their own agency, which they’re jokingly calling “69andShady.”
“So thank you, 72and Sunny. I think we’re going to create our own agency. Go to 69andshady.com to learn about the future of social media,” she quipped.
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Source: Black Enterprise
