COPENHAGEN — Danish furniture brand OMHU has released a limited-edition, deliberately “fake” version of its own bestselling sofa, selling it not on its own website but on discount marketplaces Temu, Etsy and dupe.com, in an unusual move designed to draw attention to the growing market for counterfeit and copycat products.
OMHU’s TEDDY sofa, a legless, modular design made from soft foam cushions, has become one of the most recognisable pieces of furniture on social media since its release, and has also become one of the internet’s most frequently copied products, with thousands of cheaper imitations sold online under different names.
Rather than pursue legal action against copycats, as many brands do, OMHU has instead released its own version of the sofa under the name ‘TEDY’ – a deliberate misspelling – in an orange colourway it calls ‘dupe-orange.’ The limited run of 50 units is being sold for £599.99, a fraction of the original TEDDY’s retail price.
Most brands would fight this behind closed doors or try to ignore it. Not OMHU. “If anything, we see this as a compliment,” says Alexander Morabbi Wulsh, CMO at OMHU. “Getting duped is iconic. Only icons get copied at this scale”.
The company says the campaign, called The Iconic Dupe, is a response to the rise of ‘dupe culture’, a growing trend, especially among younger shoppers, of deliberately buying cheaper imitations of well-known products. Industry research from Corsearch, a brand-protection firm that draws on trade data from the OECD and UNCTAD, estimates the global counterfeit goods market could reach $1.79 trillion by 2030.
“We want people to understand what they’re actually paying for when they choose a dupe over the original.” “Cheap usually means someone or something else is paying the price, whether that’s in working conditions, materials or the environment.” Christine Smith is Creative Director at OMHU, where she leads the brand and positioning, including its Iconic Dupe campaign. Previously at Virtue/VICE, Uncommon and other leading agencies, her work spans internet culture, advertising and design. Her work on Backup Ukraine earned more than 150 awards.
OMHU said the stunt is intended to make a broader point about the cost of imitation products, which the company argues often cut corners on labour standards, materials and safety that aren’t visible to the shopper.
“Every well-known brand deals with being copied eventually,” said Simon Salomonsson, Chief Executive of OMHU. “This isn’t just our fight. Any brand tired of being copied is welcome to join the conversation.”
The limited-edition TEDY sofa will be available on 5th September on Temu, Etsy and dupe.com while stocks last. OMHU’s original TEDDY sofa remains available at its standard price at omhucph.com.
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