We’ve all seen that ‘You wouldn’t steal a car‘ anti-piracy ad, right? It’s been spoofed and ridiculed countless times, so if you haven’t seen the ad, you’ve almost certainly seen a parody, also you need to get out more.
Now, we’re the first to tell you that downloading music illegally is wrong and hurts artists and you shouldn’t do it, but the issue is a little too nuanced and complex to comfortably compare it to stealing a car or breaking into someone’s house and taking their stuff.
What’s more, the ad’s famously stern warnings and overly serious nature made it ripe for ridicule, and it was tackled by everyone from The IT Crowd (see below) to comedian Mindy Kaling. But you ain’t seen nothing yet – no pun intended.
As Digital Music News reports, these are from an actual anti-piracy ad campaign run by the Universal Music Group in 2007. These extreme ads, which are kind of like American Psycho meets Goodfellas in terms of vibe, were issued to combat piracy in Brazil:
Image via Digital Music News
They were hatched by F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi and released in mid-2007, according to Advertolog, an online database for advertising around the world. While they’re clearly laughable (and kind of creepy) we appreciate the detail that went into them.
In particular, we’re impressed with the ear, which is complete with punk rock style piercings and gauges – you know, ’cause all musicians have those. Whether you reckon they’re funny or ludicrous, they’re a far cry from the anti-piracy ads of the ’70s.
