• AdAge, Thursday, December 17, 2009 11 AM

Coffee marketer Lavazza is charging Nestle Group's Nespresso with copying its advertising idea with a commercial showing George Clooney visiting heaven, much as its long-running "Paradise" campaign features coffee being enjoyed there.

Emma Hall reports the company has referred the matter to the Italian advertising regulatory body, the Istituto dell'Autodisciplina Pubblicitaria. Armando Testa, Italy's biggest ad agency, came up with the Lavazza campaign, which has seen 60 executions over the past 15 years.

In Nespresso's new spot, Clooney meets up with God, played by John Malkovich. He is holding the coffee maker, which God is eying covetously. The latter suggests that in exchange for the Nespresso, Clooney might return to Earth. Tagline "What Else?"

For its part, Nespresso says the spot is an original concept. Vediamo.

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