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January 26, 2012
H+M is awesome
Regretsy reports H+M has stolen the work of East Atlanta Village artist, Tori LaConsay.
On one side of the sign, I painted, “You Look Nice Today” followed by a little heart. This was on the side of the sign that I thought people would see on their way to work. On the other side of the sign (the side I thought people would see the most on their return back to the neighborhood) I painted, “I’m So Happy You’re Here” with another little heart. It was a small gesture that I genuinely hoped would make my neighbors feel good.
Now yours for £12.99 from H+M.
Yesterday, I wrote to H+M's PR flack Amanda Wennö, a representative for "an independent film production company, making both TV documentaries as well as press films (such as those for H&M)" (I'm on her mailing list) to ask about the problem.
She hasn't replied.
Not much later that morning: I have amended the above post to more correctly represent Amanda Wennö's relationship to H+M. She is not a PR representative acting on their behalf, only a representative for the firm that makes the H+M promotional videos she keeps sending me. Some might call this a distinction without a difference. Some might call it getting a reply only after you have published a direct link to someone's LinkedIn profile.
Not that she has bothered to reply herself (and this is not the first time). But thanks anyway to Cecilia Wirseen for alerting me to this crucial distinction and my apologies for any confusion arising from the difference between H+M public relations and H+M press films.
Note to marketing firms: If you insist on spamming me with unsolicited promotional materials, you should observe the basic courtesy of replying to your email. I gave Amanda a full day to respond to my concerns. It is the least she could have done considering the H+M press films she keeps sending me.
So, no, Cecilia, I won't be deleting anything.
Minutes later: A wild H+M Media Relations note appears!
We are sorry if we have upset anyone, we are taking this matter most seriously and right now we are looking into the situation.
We have reached out to Tori LaConsay, are in direct contact with her and we will continue this dialogue directly with her regarding this matter.
Best regards
Håcan Andersson
Press officer, H&M
My reply:
Imagine my astonishment to hear from you. Cecilia Wirseen took great pains to distance her firm from H+M, I gather they don't engage in PR for H+M, only make press films for H+M and then promote them to people like me.
And yet now I hear direct from H+M.
With respect to the issue at hand, please feel free to keep me informed as to how the work of an Atlanta artist could appear on your products without attribution or, one imagines, compensation.
I can only base my opinions on what has been reported, of course. It may be some terrible error has been committed. But I can tell you that if something comparable had happened to me, the firm responsible would hear from my attorneys and I would not be satisfied until someone had been quite publicly fired.
Directly related: I haven't set foot in an Urban Outfitters for a year. I don't expect I will be back to H+M any time soon.
If you work in a "creative industry", or hold any sort of intellectual property in any medium, I suggest you don't either.
Posted by Ghost of a flea at January 26, 2012 08:47 AM