H&R Block Sues AmEx Over Ad

At least that’s the contention in a trademark infringement case filed by Block, the tax preparation firm, late last week in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Missouri.

Block contends that its “My people” campaign, via Campbell Mithun, Minneapolis, has been encroached in an AmEx broadcast spot via Ogilvy & Mather, New York. The AmEx spot began running in April as part of its “Are you a card member?” campaign, and features entertainers Ellen DeGeneres and Beyonce Knowles.

The Block ads joke about how the firm’s clients don’t have to worry about their taxes because they have “people” to handle them, as well as a number of other everyday tasks.