When I teach design classes, I try to get the students thinking of creative ways to get a message across. “Being creative” can be a challenge, when it’s expected and when marks depend on it. So I tell them to be playful and have fun. When you have fun, you end up with things that are fun, and not just fun for the person who originally had the idea. Things like the lipdub video created by the Wake County SPCA, an extravagant celebration of the joy of pets set to Abba’s “Take a Chance on Me”.
Alas, the little video ran around the internet and attracted the attention of lawyers, who said, “This is a commercial and you don’t have the right to use this music.” So they had to take it down. But they were creative, right? So they’ve now set up the video—without the music—in a way that lets you sync it to music posted on another site.
There’s always a creative solution to be found, with a bit of effort.
It is a wonderful video. Too bad the ABBA lawyers couldn’t work something out – a black mark for them.