Money, get away.

Get a good job with more pay and your O.K.

I recently received a request to produce client-supplied art (yay), deliverables included a postcard (25k) and 30-sheet posters (15). The art featured an origami shaped $20 bill, I’ve been meaning to research the legalities of featuring US currency in advertising ever since I saw the Geico® OOH featuring “The money you could be saving” headline with the visual of the stack of money with googly eyes. I’m sure the campaign was totally legal but was thinking what a nightmare it would have been to replace THOUSANDS of billboards for such an obvious licensing rule.

This is the most in-depth article I found relating to using US Currency in advertising. http://desktoppub.about.com/od/scanninggraphics/a/papermoney.htm , here are the key restrictions and how they relate to the current project. Since this is client-supplied art I am requesting their legal department submit licensing clearance in writing before proceeding.

Size – smaller or larger than original, so as not to confuse with actual paper currency. – PASS: The outdoor boards are definitely larger than an actual $20 bill.
Color – black & white reproductions only or the use of distinctly different colors from original – FAIL: The image is the exact color of an actual bill.
One-side – reproductions cannot be double-sided. – PASS: The outdoor boards are one-sided, postcard only features the image on the front.
Surface Area – only a certain percentage of the overall surface of one side of the bill may be depicted. PASS: Only small areas on each part of the bill are featured.

I’m not going to post a picture of the image in question until I receive written approval on the usage.