Agency hits out at ‘lazy thinking’, accuses rival of stealing campaign

September 10, 2025 11:49

The Sunbeam ad, on a set also used later by Breville

A creative agency that works with kitchen appliance company Sunbeam has come out swinging at a rival agency for what it claims is a copy-cat campaign for Breville.

The Sydney-based agency Bounce contacted Mumbrella with claims its campaign for Sunbeam had largely been replicated by the brand’s rival Breville, down to the use of the same set, “a similar sonic-led approach” and a comparable story arc.

“This isn’t just a case of ‘same house, same vibe’,” the agency said. “It’s a symptom of a bigger industry problem: creative sameness, fuelled by lazy thinking and AI-assisted shortcuts that prioritise convenience over originality.”

But Breville’s agency, The Cowboys, strongly denied the accusations, pointing to the long lead times typical of global brand campaigns.

One of Bounce and Sunbeam’s main gripes comes down to the use of similar sets.

“Breville quite literally used the exact same kitchen location,” the agency said.

The Cowboys, however, strongly refuted any suggestion its recent work copied or referenced the Sunbeam campaign.

The Sunbeam campaign:

The Breville campaign:

The Sunbeam campaign was released in April, while Breville’s came out in August, but the primary global campaign for Breville was shot “months before the Sunbeam campaign”, the Cowboys said.

“In mid-2025, Breville [then] separately carried out a product photoshoot for the same machine. These assets focused solely on the product itself and were used across social, PR, and some paid advertising. By coincidence, this product shoot took place in the same location kitchen as Sunbeam’s work,” the agency clarified.

“Sunbeam/Bounce appear to be conflating two distinct projects: one, a brand campaign featuring a sound composer shot in a separate location; and two, a product-focused shoot that happened to use the same location as the Sunbeam campaign.

“Any similarities are coincidental, and there was no intent to replicate Sunbeam’s creative approach.”

The sets in question (Bounce)

Joel Chapman, executive creative director at Bounce, however, believes the crossover points to bigger industry issues.

“This is more than just two coffee ads looking similar, this is about the creeping erosion of creative distinction in our industry,” he said.

“When brands take the easy route, whether that’s trawling references, leaning too heavily on AI, or following the leader, we all end up with work that blurs into the background. Consumers deserve better. And so do brands.”

Danielle Collins, general manager at Bounce, also voiced her frustration.

“We work hard to interrogate briefs, push our clients, and make sure we’re creating something strategically sound and culturally fresh,” she said.

“Seeing the same elements pop up months later in a competitor’s campaign isn’t flattering, it’s frustrating, because it points to a lack of creative rigour industry-wide.”

In response, Matt Sterne, the founder and creative partner of The Cowboys provided insight into how the agency works with the global brand.

“Our process with Breville has always been rooted in insight-driven thinking — highly collaborative, constantly evolving, and anchored in the Simple Moments of Brilliance (SMOBs) of each machine,” he told Mumbrella.

“That approach has led to frameworks like The 4 Keys Formula and Third Wave Specialty Coffee, which have shaped the category and inspired new creative approaches across the industry.

“At the heart of it, originality drives the work. For Breville and its partners, the goal isn’t to chase trends, but to create ideas with depth, clarity, and distinction.”

He also provided a link to a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot from November last year.

Bounce, however, wanted to use the moment to challenge the industry.

“Bounce is using the moment to call on agencies and brands alike to dig deeper, avoid the algorithm echo chamber, and strive for originality in both strategy and execution,” its statement to Mumbrella said.

“When everything starts to look the same, nobody notices the brand. Originality still matters, the real question is who’s brave enough to fight for it?”