 Shortly after Cog appeared on television , Wieden + Kennedy received a letter from Peter Fischli and David Weiss , creators of the 1987 art film Der Lauf der Dinge . The film was well known in the advertising industry , and its creators had been approached several times with offers for the right to use the concept , but had always declined . The letter pointed out several similarities between their work and " Cog " , and warned the agency that they were considering legal action on the basis of the " commercialisation and simplification of the film 's content and the false impression that [ they ] might have endorsed the use " . When interviewed by Creative Review magazine , the pair made clear that they wished they had been consulted on the advertisement , and that they would not have given permission if asked . Media publications quickly picked up the story , and asserted that Fischli and Weiss were already in the process of litigation against the car manufacturer . 
