A recent Edinburgh Realty ad campaign has raised eyebrows after students noticed it looked somewhat similar to the Capping Show’s Barbie-esque theme. Edinburgh? More like Edinbruh.
With similarities in colour palette, characters, and terminology, Capping Show members have voiced their frustration at the similarity between the ‘Get a Room’ campaign released by Edinburgh on the 9th of July, and their own work in the May production ‘Beezie’. The fact that the Capping Show blatantly mocked Edinburgh, with the show’s villain literally based on the company, does not appear to have been picked up by the property manager’s marketing department.
Speaking to the feelings of Capping show members, AJ Keables (Beezie) told Critic Te Ārohi that they were “a bit fussed about it” and “couldn’t really tell if they were piggybacking off Barbie or Beezie.” However, AJ noted that their promo video “literally looks like a rip off of the Capping video sketches.” Key similarities pointed out by Capping Show members were the use of the term ‘Scarfieland’, the fashion choices of its central characters, and the colour palette of the campaign.
The Capping Show has taken aim at Edinburgh long before now, with this year’s show featuring Glasgow Realty as the main antagonist of Beezie’s journey. Many of the jokes revolved around Glasgow Realty, leading some Capping Show members to ask if it was really Edinburgh who got the last laugh. One student, Alyssa, doubts this approach however, telling Critic, “I think they must not have seen the show as it spent majority of it making fun of realtor companies like them […] It shows how not only do they like to steal students' money, but also their ideas.”
Choreographer Ari Gepte also voiced their frustration, arguing, “They are taking away from the hard work that students put into making the show voluntarily, because after all their clients are majority students.” Third-year student Lily, who lives in an Edinburgh flat, made the connection that “potentially Edinburgh wanted to piggyback onto the successful advertising of both the Capping Show and Barbie in order to appear more relatable to the students.”
AJ also called for the company to “spend more time making sure their flats aren't covered in mould and are actually liveable rather than ripping off student productions where hiring the pink car probably cost more than my monthly rent.” While clearly a bit miffed, the Capping Show crew have taken their confusion in stride, with co-director Jack Archibald stating “imitation is the greatest form of flattery […] we’ve left a cultural impact on Dunedin.”
Edinburgh realty did not respond to Critic Te Ārohi’s request for comment in time for print.