Coffee Companies in Bitter Fight Over George Clooney in Israel

Clooney has been the face of Nespresso since 2006, starring in several of its advertisements which are popular across the globe. In a recent ad campaign Israeli company Espresso Club hired an actor who looks uncannily like the top Hollywood star.

The commercial starts with the silver-haired Clooney doppelganger exiting what appears to be a Nespresso boutique while holding what appears to be a Nespresso bag with a blurred out logo. Clooney's clone then is taught a lesson on the advantages of Espresso Club. A disclaimer on the screen tells the viewers that the actor "is not the real George Clooney."

"I think the discussion on using doubles will reach all the way to the High Court, but their claims don't make sense, so that's why I think we'll win." Espresso Club CEO Oren Tal was quoted as saying by Israeli paper Yedioth Ahronoth. "There is a whole genre in advertising of ads that relate to, and make fun of, their competitors."

But it seems that multinational giant Nestle, which owns the Nespresso brand, doesn't get the joke.

Nespresso Israel announced Thursday that it has taken legal action against the competitor company to "prevent customers from being misled." It is demanding $50,000 in compensation and for the ad be removed, claiming that the local Israeli brand has tarnished the global corporation's reputation.

Espresso Club told media that the spoof ad and the Clooney character were aimed at targeting customers seeking a less formal coffee experience.