Now Arnold Worldwide joins the scam ad gang with unauthorised McDonald’s poster

Scam ads are turning into an epidemic – or maybe we’re just noticing them after the JWT India Ford Figo fiasco.

Now agency Arnold Worldwide is in the mire over a thoroughly weird mental health type ad for McDonald’s that ran on Boston’s subway, which it admits was unauthorised. “You’re not alone,” it says, “millions of people love a Big Mac.”

Will heads roll at Arnold as they did at JWT India?

Ultimate Arnold boss David Jones of Havas may need all its account director skills to sort this one.

Have some agencies gone stark raving mad?

Update

Clearly they have, although this time the issue is copycat ads.

BBDO Proximity has had to hand back three gongs it won for DHL at the benighted Goafest festival in India (scene of the Ford Figo fiasco) after Ogilvy Singapore complained they were rip-offs of its campaign for removal firm Allied Pickfords. BBDO grumbled about it, to no avail.

And a winner from DDB Mundra for Electrolux is also being challenged as it bears an alleged similarity a French ad for LG.

Do the big networks set their agencies awards points targets by any chance? It’s a seedy business sometimes.