It seems not all people – or companies – are born with a sense of humor.  The Wall Street Journal reports that luxury conglomerate, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is suing Hyundai over its recent Super Bowl ad for the new Sonata midsize sedan.

The ad poses the question, “What if we made luxury available to everyone?” and shows funny images of luxury goods in unexpected settings.  Police officers nibble on caviar in one scene; a gigantic yacht sits quietly on a suburban street in another.

But the scene that LVMH takes offense to involves a game of basketball where players use a ball emblazoned with the famous Louis Vuitton Toile Monogram of x’s and o’s.  The lawsuit alleges, “Hyundai’s conduct has caused and will likely continue to cause confusion, mistake, and deception among the general consuming public as to the origin and quality of its products advertised in the offending commercial,” and LVMH is seeking damages and the complete removal of all copies of the advertisement.

LVMH argues in their suit that Hyundai will unfairly benefit from the association with Louis Vuitton imagery.  But how is this any different than the satire routinely seen on Saturday Night Live?  If we follow Louis Vuitton’s reasoning, SNL should be paying royalties every time they spoof a product or poke fun at a politician.

Knock-off products are one thing; satire another. For better or worse, the Toile Monogram is a well-known symbol of modern luxury and Hyundai was taking a fair and funny shot. I think that the folks at LVMH should take two monogrammed chill pills and laugh this one off.