[imagesource: Pedros]

Right off the bat, it is a little uncomfortable how similar Pedros is to Nando’s.

Besides the business names making them sound like far-flung twins, they serve a tantalisingly similar flame-grilled chicken menu.

In the advertising space, we can all agree that Nando’s gets the biggest bite, but Pedros has been hot on their heels and Nando’s is absolutely rejecting the heat.

Pedros’ latest adverts are basically riding off the back of Nando’s to promote its own flame-grilled chicken, argues Nando’s in its fight against its competitor with South Africa’s Adverting Regulatory Board (ARB).

The two ads show Pedros poking fun at Nando’s, having the ad characters refer to it as “Nan” before someone shushes them and corrects them to think of Pedros instead.

Have a look:

The second ad:

Nando’s doesn’t think it funny and had its legal team submit to the ARB that Pedros’ ads promote its own business while belittling Nando’s, according to Business Insider SA:

“The actions depicted in both commercials are not overtly humorous or exaggerated, and rely exclusively on the reference to Nando’s, in apparent disapproval, to promote” Pedros, said Nando’s.

Using the word “Nan”, according to Nando’s, clearly references its brand and products while leveraging marketing attention and riding on the back of its competitor’s reputation.

Pedros argues in defence that Nandos has repeatedly dished it out but cannot take it, saying that:

“[Nando’s] has become well known for using provocative advertising and controversial content to build its brand. Not only does [Nando’s] take advantage of the advertising goodwill of other brands, but it goes so far as to discredit or disparage said brands, including the competition.”

Fair. But then Pedros tried to make it seem like “Nan” was possibly in reference to NAN infant formula, which is the registered trademark of Nestlé and not Nando’s.

At the end of the day, the ARB ruled that “Nan” is sufficient enough to recall the Nando’s brand name and proves that Pedros is riding off the back of its competitors instead of establishing itself in its own unique way.

Take a chippie from Chicken Licken, Pedros, they get it right as a competitor to the advertising geniuses every time.

[source:businessinsider]