Fake Ads Attack Upscale Brands

There's a rather ghastly commercial (Quicktime required), that features a suicide bomber in a VW that tries to blow himself up just outside a busy cafe. The car, however, contains the explosion without any damage to the car. The spot ends with the actual Volkswagen logo and slogan: "Small but tough."

The rapid spread of the ad across the Internet suggests a bleak future where there will be more and more fake ads like this and worse, spreading brand confusion. Luxury brands and big-ticket items will be especially vulnerable, given the way their marketing changes from country to country. Echoing the difficulties the music industry has had fighting music download sites, luxury marketers may find it harder and harder to find and prosecute the culprits behind these schemes.