- Sarkodie is allegedly suing Ecobank Ghana for allegedly using his image and likeness for an advertisement without consulting him
- The bank used a young man who bears a striking resemblance to the rapper in their anti-fraud campaign, warning its customers that looks could be deceiving
- Legal documents alleged to have come from the rapper’s camp have surfaced on social media, and in it, Sarkodie is seeking damages for violation of his image rights
Popular Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie has allegedly taken legal action against Ecobank Ghana for using a lookalike in one of its advertisements without his permission.
Source: Instagram
The ad, part of the bank’s anti-fraud campaign, featured a young man who strongly resembles the rapper. The message behind the campaign was to warn customers that appearances can be misleading. However, Sarkodie allegedly believes the ad misled the public into thinking he was part of it.
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Court documents shared on social media suggest the case has been filed at the Commercial Division of the High Court in Accra. Sarkodie, known privately as Michael Owusu Addo, claims the ad violates his image rights and damages his reputation.
The writ also argued that the campaign created confusion, especially because he was currently a brand ambassador for First Bank, a direct competitor of Ecobank. His team believes the use of a lookalike could harm his business deals and public image.
In the writ, Sarkodie is asking the court to declare that Ecobank breached his image and intellectual property rights, stop the bank from using any image or likeness of him in future campaigns, order Ecobank to remove all ads connected to the case, and pay him damages for the harm caused
The legal document also warns that if Ecobank does not respond to the court within eight days, the case may go ahead without them. The drama has got many Ghanaians debating on who is right or wrong.
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Source: UGC
Sarkodie and Ecobank saga stirs reactions
YEN.com.gh gathered some reactions from social media users.
belikerekey said:
“You guys don’t like reading, read carefully the concept behind it. The post it says, looks can be deceiving” They are fighting against fraud. It wasn’t like they were using the guy to replace King Sark.”
true_kyn commented:
“So if the person looks like you, does that mean no brand should use him aaah, very funny country.”
latashalagos wrote:
“Is the entire purpose of this ad going over EVERYONE’s head in the comment section as well as Sarkodie’s?????”
i_willsaidit commented:
“They both have a case; they had every right to do the AD with a look alike, also they should have pitched it to Opana before they started and maybe found a way to include him.”
Sarkodie does not rewear Air Force sneakers
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Sarkodie reportedly does not like repeating sneakers, specifically Air Force sneakers.
YEN.com.gh reported that, according to his stylist, the rapper mostly wears Air Forces just once. She added that his closet also cost a fortune.
The rapper, who is a big lover of fashion, loves to wear a wide variety of luxury outfits and sneakers.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh