Ariana Grande has been a pop icon for the past several years now. The “Thank U, Next” artist and Forever 21 were talking about a “deal in December 2018, but the company wouldn’t pony up enough dough to use her name and likeness.”
What We Know:
- Despite the deal not going through, Forever 21 launched a ripoff Ariana Grande ad campaign. It’s been described that Forever 21 was “piggybacking off of the huge success” of her “Thank U, Next” album.
- Forever 21 was extremely sneaky about their unauthorized images and videos. They published around 30 on their website and social media. With only a second glace do you realize that the model isn’t Grande.
- Forever 21 hired a model that resembled Grande along with “reenacting scenes and shots from the album’s singles and music videos … specifically ‘7 Rings.'”
- All this marketing falsely made it seem like Grande was backing the Forever 21 brand.
- Grande is suing for at least $10 million in damages.
- Forever 21 made a comment in regards to the lawsuit. They do indirectly recognize that they’ve been trying to sign a deal with Ariana Grande. They did not make a comment on the specific allegations.
- “Forever 21 does not comment on pending litigation as per company policy. That said, while we dispute the allegations, we are huge supporters of Ariana Grande and have worked with her licensing company over the past two years. We are hopeful that we will find a mutually agreeable resolution and can continue to work together in the future.”
This is a serious case of copyright and using Ariana Grande for her stardom. We’re glad that Grande is standing up for her work and her reputation. We hope that society can learn from such a strong and powerful woman that it’s good to stand up for yourself.
