Just when you thought the Robsten saga couldn’t get any weirder, it did!
Last month, Robert Pattinson, the English actor and musician who is currently dating Twilight star Kristen Stewart, received an offer he couldn’t refuse: A brand-new television commercial!
In the commercial, which was filmed in Lisbon, Portugal, during the summer of 2017, Pattinson plays a man named Robert who is trying to find love—but he’s having a hard time. He meets a woman named Alice at a bar and the two of them start dancing. But when he tries to make a move on her, she turns him down. Hurt and bummed out, he walks out of the bar, gets in his car, and starts driving. While driving, he thinks of a plan to win Alice’s heart. So he starts singing “Karaoke Love” by Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas. When the song ends, Alice gets in the car and the two of them start dancing…again.
The spot, which is called “Karaoke Love,” will air during the World Cup this summer in Russia. But as much as we’d like to see it air during the World Cup, it’ll probably never see the light of day. Why? Because the powers that be at BBDO Paris, the agency that created the spot, aren’t that into Robsten!
“We approached them with this idea and they immediately said no. They weren’t interested in the concept at all,” BBDO Paris creative director Benoît Renard told Entertainment Tonight. “We’re not happy about it because it’s such a strong concept, but we have to respect their opinion.”
Pattinson’s representative, Christine Leunen, had no comment. But according to TMZ, Stewart’s people pitched in to help and secured the actor a spot in a different commercial during the World Cup. So at least he’ll get to continue promoting his new book, Trust, which is based on the hit manga of the same name. (The book was released on May 9, 2017.)
This isn’t the first time that Robsten’s manager, Andrew Fisher, has acted as a liaison for a potential client who was interested in Robsten. Back in 2014, the agency New York based The Richards Group represented a Japanese company that wanted to use Robsten in a commercial. But again, the two sides couldn’t agree on terms. This time, however, it seems that the stars may finally be aligned.
Why Is the Actor-Musician-Composer-Author Allowed to Do This?
To be clear, Pattinson isn’t doing this to be controversial or to anger fans. He’s actually doing it for the love of karaoke!
According to Renard, this is how the agency came up with the concept:
“We started from a simple question. How can we make a commercial that will stand out? We thought about the most recognizable faces in the world, the ones that evoke an emotional response. And then, we chose Robert Pattinson because he’s a well-known entity in a world of unknowns. People know who he is and they have an opinion about him. So, we could use this to our advantage.”
Renard continues, “We felt that the combination of these three [Pattinson, Stewart, and Taylor Swift, who has been in a relationship with the actor for years], would be enough to stand out in a commercial world. We wanted to make something that would be memorable and would provoke an emotional response in the audience. We came up with the idea of doing a storyboard and using stop-motion. We wanted to make the commercial as realistic as possible and not make it look like a cartoon.”
What About the Legal Aspects?
Even though the commercial isn’t airing, it doesn’t mean that Robsten can’t be sued for trademark infringement or defamation. After all, the song that he’s singing in the spot is called “Karaoke Love” and it’s probably fair to assume that most people will know exactly what it is that he’s singing about. (The line, “I wanna sing in a karaoke bar with you,” could also be construed as a form of advertising or promotion.)
It’s also possible that Robsten could face copyright infringement charges for the way that he’s recorded the song and used it in the commercial without proper permission. (Creative Commons copyright licenses don’t protect you from receiving a cease-and-desist letter, but it is a potential legal gray area.)
How Does This Affect Stewart?
This commercial won’t do any favors for Stewart, whose image is already being used without her consent or compensation in many places worldwide. So, if she decides to sue for copyright infringement or defamation, it could get messy.
This isn’t the first time that Robsten has used a song without permission in a commercial. Back in 2010, he was featured in an Absolut Vodka ad that used the song “Exchange Street,” which he wrote and performed with the band the Black Keys. (Absolut Vodka continues to use the “Exchange Street” song in their ads even though it was never cleared by the band.)
As a result of this ad, the band’s legal representatives sent a cease-and-desist letter to Absolut Vodka. But instead of backing down, the vodka company defended itself by pointing out that they had the right to use the song as it is popular and famous, and that the band had been compensated for the use of their music.
While it’s not yet known whether or not Stewart has plans to sue, she isn’t taking the situation lightly. In fact, she’s already started a Change.org petition asking for a congressional investigation into the matter.
Takeaway
This is just one of the many strange corners of the celebrity world. Most people who love karaoke and its associated culture don’t know or care about Robsten, which means that they won’t be affected by this commercial in any way, shape, or form. But, for the people who do know and care about Robsten, this commercial could be the last straw. (The petition already has over 50,000 signatures as of the time of this writing.)
Whether or not Stewart decides to take legal action against Robsten, this commercial will always be defined by the fact that it was created by a fandom for a celebrity who doesn’t deserve it.