When we see big corporations going after the little guy, we get triggered.
And so we vent our frustrations on social media, but no one cares and nothing changes.
That’s why one man has gone above and beyond in order to spite one such corporation.
How?
By changing his name to Hugo Boss.
UK Comedian Changes His Name To Hugo Boss Legally To Spite Fashion House
According to BBC, Hugo Boss has been sending cease-and-desist letters to small businesses that have ‘Boss’ in their company name.
That seems really petty, doesn’t it?
One UK comedian on Twitter, Joe Lycett, claims that Boss Brewing, a small brewery in Swansea, had to pay thousands in legal fees and rebranding after Hugo Boss sent them a cease-and-desist letter for their brand.
There was something a little strange about Lycett’s tweet, however:
It's clear that @HUGOBOSS HATES people using their name. Unfortunately for them this week I legally changed my name by deed poll and I am now officially known as Hugo Boss. All future statements from me are not from Joe Lycett but from Hugo Boss. Enjoy. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/IlDoCrfmaO
— Hugo Boss (@joelycett) March 1, 2020
Yes, his name on Twitter is Hugo Boss.
Why? Because he actually changed his name to Hugo Boss.
On 1 March, the comic announced that he had legally changed his name to Hugo Boss to spite the German fashion brand for their legal antics.
He also changed his signature and his Wikipedia page has been edited to reflect the name change.
According to Mothership, in doing so, the comedian will now be able to say anything he wants under the name Hugo Boss, and the fashion house cannot sue him for trademark infringement.
Which means he could say things like this:
Hugo Boss doesn't flush unless it's his own house.
— Hugo Boss (@joelycett) March 2, 2020
And this:
Hugo Boss did not historically manufacture uniforms for the Nazis. Sorry, THIS Hugo Boss did not historically manufacture uniforms for the Nazis.
— Hugo Boss (@joelycett) March 1, 2020
The crazy comic even announced that he will be launching a brand new product named after himself, Hugo Boss, on his show.
I am pleased to announce that I will be launching a brand new product as Hugo Boss. All will be revealed on the new series of #GotYourBack on @Channel4
— Hugo Boss (@joelycett) March 1, 2020
A publicity stunt?
Now, since he’s tied in this name change with his show, one has to wonder; is this just a publicity stunt?
Well, most likely.
In his show, Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back, the comedian takes it upon himself to fight for wronged customers against big organisations while putting a comedic spin on the whole thing.
This isn’t the first time he’s used famous names to get the attention of big corporations, however.
In its first season, the comedian impersonated the ex-CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to get an £8,000 (SGD 14,278) refund for a scammed customer.
And just like he’s doing now, he even posted some embarrassing tweets under the CEO’s name.
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This might sound ludicrous, but it actually worked.
After bringing a flash mob with him to do a song-and-dance routine at the RBS headquarters – a stunt which got 9.1 million views – RBS changed its policies and refunded the customer her scammed money.
The comic said that his show is his dream job because it lets him “be an idiot and shove two fingers up to greedy corporations”.
The world needs more idiots like him.
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