Choose Your Own Adventure® Owners Sue DaimlerChrysler and BBDO for Trademark Infringement
Injunction filed to protect Choose Your Own Adventure® Trademark
Waitsfield, VT, March 29, 2007 --(PR.com)-- http://www.chooseco.com - R. A. Montgomery, founder of the classic children’s interactive book series, Choose Your Own Adventure®, and his company Chooseco LLC of Waitsfield, Vermont, announced today that they have filed suit, case number 2:07-CV-71 against DaimlerChrysler, BBDO Detroit, Organic and Marvel Entertainment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont for trademark infringement.
DaimlerChrysler features the trademark Choose Your Own Adventure in their recently launched ad campaign for the new Jeep Patriot. Chooseco also seeks to injunct DaimlerChrysler and its advertising partners from continued use of their mark in the campaign.
On March 13, Jeep and DaimlerChrysler launched an advertising campaign for the new Jeep Patriot using “Choose Your Adventure” throughout print, online and television ads. The campaign features an interactive website and movie which is recognizably similar to the model used for the Choose Your Own Adventure book series. Jeep’s press release describes the “Choose Your Adventure” campaign as “interactive” and its goal as one for “consumers to directly impact the evolution of the plot through their…choices.” The Patriot is Jeep’s most affordable model and the campaign press release lists the target demographic as “young, active men and women.”
“The alleged misappropriation of the Choose Your Own Adventure mark by Jeep is alleged to be particularly harmful as Choose Your Own Adventure books have also promoted interactive adventure and active lifestyles for boys and girls for over 20 years,” stated Chooseco publisher Shannon Gilligan. “The series maintains a large fan base of original readers who are now in the exact demographic Jeep targets. An internal market study done by one of our licensees indicated a 75% recognition rate of the Choose Your Own Adventure brand among 25-35 year olds. Choose Your Own Adventure has enormously positive associations for these young consumers. This Jeep ad campaign is a gross abuse of our brand.”
Requests of Daimler Chrysler, BBDO, Organic Interactive and Marvel to cease and desist their infringement of Chooseco’s trademark have been denied. “We regret that we were forced to file suit to stop their behavior but we are committed to staunchly protecting the trademark from misappropriation,” Montgomery noted. “One would think that in the business most associated with protecting and building creative brands, BBDO and Organic would have run a simple check of trademarks during the creative development process.”
About Choose Your Own Adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure is the most successful interactive series of all time. Over 250 million books were printed in more than 35 languages between 1978 and 1998. R.A. Montgomery recently founded Chooseco to re-release several classic titles as well as license the brand into new interactive media and develop new Choose Your Own Adventure book series. Chooseco books are widely available throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and translation deals exist in Spain, and Turkey and Germany.
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DaimlerChrysler features the trademark Choose Your Own Adventure in their recently launched ad campaign for the new Jeep Patriot. Chooseco also seeks to injunct DaimlerChrysler and its advertising partners from continued use of their mark in the campaign.
On March 13, Jeep and DaimlerChrysler launched an advertising campaign for the new Jeep Patriot using “Choose Your Adventure” throughout print, online and television ads. The campaign features an interactive website and movie which is recognizably similar to the model used for the Choose Your Own Adventure book series. Jeep’s press release describes the “Choose Your Adventure” campaign as “interactive” and its goal as one for “consumers to directly impact the evolution of the plot through their…choices.” The Patriot is Jeep’s most affordable model and the campaign press release lists the target demographic as “young, active men and women.”
“The alleged misappropriation of the Choose Your Own Adventure mark by Jeep is alleged to be particularly harmful as Choose Your Own Adventure books have also promoted interactive adventure and active lifestyles for boys and girls for over 20 years,” stated Chooseco publisher Shannon Gilligan. “The series maintains a large fan base of original readers who are now in the exact demographic Jeep targets. An internal market study done by one of our licensees indicated a 75% recognition rate of the Choose Your Own Adventure brand among 25-35 year olds. Choose Your Own Adventure has enormously positive associations for these young consumers. This Jeep ad campaign is a gross abuse of our brand.”
Requests of Daimler Chrysler, BBDO, Organic Interactive and Marvel to cease and desist their infringement of Chooseco’s trademark have been denied. “We regret that we were forced to file suit to stop their behavior but we are committed to staunchly protecting the trademark from misappropriation,” Montgomery noted. “One would think that in the business most associated with protecting and building creative brands, BBDO and Organic would have run a simple check of trademarks during the creative development process.”
About Choose Your Own Adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure is the most successful interactive series of all time. Over 250 million books were printed in more than 35 languages between 1978 and 1998. R.A. Montgomery recently founded Chooseco to re-release several classic titles as well as license the brand into new interactive media and develop new Choose Your Own Adventure book series. Chooseco books are widely available throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and translation deals exist in Spain, and Turkey and Germany.
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Contact
Choose Your Own Adventure
Shannon Gilligan
802 496 2595 EXT 28
www.cyoa.com
Shannon Gilligan
802 496 2595 EXT 28
www.cyoa.com
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