Etihad recently partnered with IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings and become their principal sponsor.
Subsequently, Etihad has released an advertisement featuring MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad among other players of the team that emphasises the comfort that Etihad’s business class seats provide.
However, the story doesn’t end there.
Communications strategy consultant, Karthik Srinivasan took to LinkedIn to point out the similarity between Etihad’s advert and one that Volkswagen released in 2023. He called out not just the brand but the ad agency responsible for the advertisement as well.
“Dear Etihad, please have a chat with your ad agency that came up with the idea for the latest ad featuring Dhoni where he is referring to the comfort of your business class seat,” Srinivasan said.
“The idea was first conceived for Volkswagen USA, by the agency Johannes Leonardo, back in October 2023.” He added.