Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Subway Sues Quiznos Over Ad Contest

Sandwich-maker offered $10K to fan that best mocked competitor

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 29, 2008 7:30 PM CST

(Newser) – Subway is suing Quiznos after the sub-maker invited fans to drum up ads for an online contest, the New York Times reports. Two years ago, Quiznos offered $10,000 to the fan whose ad best compared Quiznos subs to Subway's "with Quiznos being superior." Subway fumed after seeing its sandwiches kicked, mocked, and destroyed on a website that has since been taken down.

Quiznos denies blame for the plugs: “We’re just facilitating consumers who go out and create their own expression,” said a company attorney. But a legal expert notes that Quiznos "provoked" the ads and made consumers "their agents." At issue is who takes the rap for user-generated content in such contests, which other companies have already run. The competitions may be torpedoed if a Connecticut court sides with Subway next year.

[Images (3)]

[Videos (2)]

A 2006 file photo of a Subway restaurant inside the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Bowling Green, Ohio. (Getty Images)

This screen capture from a Quizno's competition ad is taken from YouTube. (YouTube)

"Let's just hope that as collateral damage it doesn't kill the entire genre of competitive advertising," said one ad agency rep. (Flickr)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Disfigured animated animals pitch for Quizno's. (magicalme394 (YouTube))

A consumer made video entitled "Quiznos vs. Subway Round 2" (Kevman21 (YouTube))

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Weight Watchers Sues Jenny Craig Over Ad

Commercial claims 'clinical trial' proves Jenny is better

(NEWSER) - Weight Watchers is suing Jenny Craig over a commercial in which the weight loss company claims that a “major clinical trial” showed that the average Jenny customer lost twice as much weight "as those on the largest weight-loss program.” That’d be Weight Watchers, which says its rival lied, reports Bloomberg . “The Jenny Craig advertisements are false,” the company said. “Jenny Craig did not conduct a ‘major clinical trial’" comparing the two products. More»

Super Bowl Ads Sell Out, and 30 Seconds Cost...

...about $3.5M, up from last year's $3M

(NEWSER) - Big money, big money, no whammies? When it comes to Super Bowl XLVI, the big money sure has poured in: The commercial slots are officially sold out, at a cost of about $3.5 million for 30 seconds. The no whammies part remains to be seen... The Wall Street Journal reports that, bad economy and all, the price took a big jump over last year's $3 million. And this year's figure represents a 59% increase since 2001, a year in which 30-second commercials ran about $2.2 million. More»

The 5 Creepiest Ad Mascots of All Time

In honor of BK's King, Time breaks down the weirdest product hawkers

(NEWSER) - Now that Burger King’s weird plastic-faced “King” mascot is done terrorizing us , Time decided to break down the creepiest product mascots of all time. You can check out some of their greatest hits in the video gallery below. More»

Taco Bell 'Beefiness' Lawsuit Dropped

So go ahead, enjoy a 'Beefy Crunch Burrito' with no worries

(NEWSER) - Those of you hoping to see Taco Bell forced to defend the beefiness of its beef in court will be disappointed: The law firm that filed a class-action lawsuit against the fast food chain has now withdrawn it. The suit looked to force Taco Bell to stop calling its meat "beef," since, the suit alleged, the meat is actually just 36% beef . But Taco Bell said yesterday those allegations are "absolutely wrong" and that the lawsuit was voluntarily withdrawn with no money exchanged. More»

Groupon's Tibet Ad Enrages; Other Hits, Misses

'Can anyone be more stupid than Groupon?' wonders one blogger

(NEWSER) - Man, isn’t the plight of the Tibetan people hilarious? Groupon hit a real nerve last night with a Super Bowl commercial that seemed to exploit said plight for yucks. “The people of Tibet are in trouble. Their culture is in jeopardy,” says narrator Timothy Hutton. “But they still whip up an amazing fish curry.” The ad—part of a whole series of mock-PSAs—generated an instant backlash on Twitter and YouTube for its insensitivity, the Huffington Post reports. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Subway Sues Quiznos Over Ad Contest