The image in the ad was well known to them: A&L had developed it in 1994 for then-client Sun Microsystems.
The photograph in question is of a swimmer, who, with the help of some computer imaging, appears to be stroking his way along a blacktop highway.
The picture, it turns out, was originally created by the agency to show how Adobe Photoshop software could be used on a Sun SPARCstation, according to A&L new business executive Annie Jackson.
The photographer who helped A&L develop the image retained the rights to it, and apparently sold it years later. Both ads are shown here. A&L is keeping it all in perspective. “We’re always glad to see that others appreciate our work,” Jackson said.
–Kathy Tyrer