Angel of Dream Jurgis - Ad comparison to Soom Io layout

When a company is accused of copying a doll, that can lead to boycotts and the doll being banned from discussion on DOA. I realize that this is *not* the same as recasting someone else's sculpt, but it is still blatant plagiarism of intellectual property and I think it should have consequences.
I wasn't going to be buying from AOD anyway for other reasons, but this certainly makes me lose respect for them.

 

I agree. If they'd marketed Jurgis using a different design layout, and maybe using a "Halloween" theme instead of the "primitive hunter" theme... I don't think I'd even have made the connection to the Soom gimmick. Yes, he's a themed doll with add-on features like the Soom Monthlies, but it was the marketing that really formed the mental connection for me. Once I realized the advertising looked like Soom's, THEN I thought "Oh, and the doll is kind of a play on the same theme, too".

If Jurgis had been presented with a new ad design and a different set of accessories, I probably would have just thought "Oh, it's a werewolf doll just in time for Halloween!" (Though I know Halloween isn't celebrated in every culture, it still would have been good timing for those of us who do. )

I'm not making any claims that the doll himself has been copied. I think it's pretty obvious that he has not. I'm even on the fence about whether his basic theme is really inspired by the Soom Monthlies. There's a good chance they thought up the idea of making a werewolf independently, then tacked on the Soom-themed ad campaign idea later. I'm not sure how long the doll has been in development, maybe before Io was released.

I have no issues with the doll himself, whether he was or was not inspired by Soom. He's different enough that I consider him an original doll. I just feel that AoD could have marketed the doll much better, rather than rehashing something we've already seen someone else do.

I do understand that there is sometimes a difference regarding the idea of "copying" and "copyright" when it comes to Western culture versus Asian culture... but this may just be a case where marketing didn't work. Perhaps they just didn't realize that having an ad campaign so closely resembling another company's would be distasteful to a portion of the Western consumer market.

 

I'll be honest...the way AOD has so obviously copied Soom irks me to no end, especially since the artists over at Soom have been working very hard to create innovative designs for this year's monthly dolls.

I have no qualms with them taking the full set idea or the animal parts idea and running with it, (good for AOD if they do), but for goodness sakes, at least TRY to incorporate some originality, even if it's just in the ad or banner style.

I think it might hurt AOD a bit as well since the detail of the sculpt and costume with Soom is more complex and the identical layout makes it all to easy to see that.

*sigh grumble sigh*

 

oh sorry, i was actually agreeing with you. i didnt intend to come across as disagreeing, though i realise how my phrasing did

also i agree its a shame AoD did this as the doll is quite a nice idea!

 

Tbh, Lion King or not, my first thought when I saw the wolf-boy was "cheap Io ripoff". There is a difference from taking inspiration from an old film and making something new out of it- and to "accidentaly" release a more or less copied doll concept shortly after IO was released. It's just way too obvious. I think AOD really needs to put some work into creating their own style. Their new "Disney" logo does not help.

 

Agreed. The copied ad style just reinforces the connection to Soom and Io WindWalker...and I think Jurgis comes off looking worse as a result. AoD would have been better finding a format that displays their dolls in the best possible way, not seeing how Soom displays their own dolls and pouncing on that format instead.

Same here Wishing and hoping for a werewolf doll...and here he isn't.

 

I have just seen the new way they have laid out Jurgis on AOD site, it has changed and it seems you cant get his extra werewolf heads, is it me missing something or have AOD been told to change the layout and not producing the werewolf heads anymore?

 

I loved IO- he's gorgeous! but when i saw the wolf thingie I started screaming for Pocky and ran to my corner. ;_;

Although, I do like the bow and arrow being a target- archer

 

A local AoD dealer has a note on their site saying that the 'very Limited Edition Wolfman Set' is sold out at AoD (though they have some on order) so I think the fullset with the extra heads was just a limited time/amount thing, and standard Jurgis just comes as the doll with the basic head only. I'm guessing they just changed the picture because the fullset is sold out and all you get with the standard is normal body + one head, so that's all they want to show for him.

 

Thanks for the info, I was just curious as I quite liked the wolf head

 

When Jurgis was first advertised, there was an ordering window of something like 30 days... which are passed. The idea all along was that the extra heads would be discontinued after that. In the case of the mid-transformation face, I'd say that was a good idea.

I didn't order him, because I just wasn't financially in a doll-buying spot at that moment, but I also didn't like the heads (ANY of them) enough to get all worried about it. The standard Jurgis is just sortof "meh..." and I didn't think I'd really get all that much use out of the wolf head. I've just seen a few owner photos of the wolf head, and I can safely say I made the right decision.

Russell

 

It's possible that they use the same promotional agency and they just used the same layout and shot postitions for both. A lot of photographers get uninspired and just use the same poses over and over no matter WHAT it is....

 

I am very late to this thread but I love Jurgis and hoping I can find him on ebay or here on the MP. Everyone was getting worked up over the ad. i don't think it was copied. Similar yes but copied no. I also believe that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I had just gotten into BJDs when Jurgis came out but at that time i was more into obitsus and didn't really get into resin bjds until a little while later.

As far as everyone saying he is not up to their aesthetic standards I happen he to think he is very handsome and i love the wolf face and in between face. I think all dolls are beautiful but that is me. I am no artist so any art in my eyes is great. The only art I can do is draw stick figures so I appreciate all art whether paintings, dolls, statues etc.