Knock Off Nigel rides again

The intellectual property industry hasn't quietly dropped its toe-curlingly bad Knock-Off Nigel campaign. Oh no.

The supposedly cash-strapped business sector has pumped a bunch of cash into making something it clearly thinks will appeal to young people. Teaming up with readers' wives title Nuts (classy move, there), they've created a never-actually-funny video which you can "customise" with your friend's face and name to make it seem like they're Knock-Off Nigels, too. Oh, what larks.

Nuts are, of course, being paid to distribute this, but it seems that even they realise it's a bit weak. It's so far from compelling, in fact, they have to stick an introduction more-or-less begging you to watch:

Keep waiting - it's worth it!

Nuts Editor

I love the way rather than having a name, it's just "Nuts editor". Like when The Beano editor used to appear in The Bash Street Kids.

Respect for intellectual property rights

A young couple sit enjoying a drink in a pub, when they're approached by a singer with a guitar, intent on serenading them. Their delight at this charming treat turns quickly, though, as they realise the song is detailing the weakness of the bloke - his girlfriend, having thus discovered the reality of her boyfriend's dark side, storms off, and the man is left sitting, looking shifty, as his shame continues to be detailed by the musician.

So it is that the movie industry is currently attempting to teach us to be ashamed of ourselves if we buy cheap movies through the cautionary tale of 'Knock off Nigel'. The message of respecting the intellectual property of others might be a little stronger, though, if the whole idea hadn't been stolen from the Mexican Pot Noodle advert from a couple of years back.

It's a knock-off advert,
built on knock-off ideas,
it's a knock-off advert,
built on stolen ideas