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Health Insurance Association of America
April 24, 2002 WASHINGTON, April 24 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "Harry
and Louise," the characters featured in well-known television advertisements by
the Health Insurance Association of America, are now being used in new ads by a
group supporting cloning research. HIAA President Dr. Donald Young issued the
following statement today:
"Let there be no confusion: The Health Insurance Association of America has no
involvement in the current advertising campaign and does not support or condone
it. Frankly, we were stunned to learn that characters so closely associated with
HIAA are now being used in other ways without our foreknowledge and without our
permission. In the public mind, Harry and Louise represent the views of HIAA and
the health insurance industry. To co-opt them for another client and another
purpose is at best sleight-of-hand and at worst identity theft.
"The press materials from the group sponsoring the new ads say 'Harry and Louise
make a comeback,' which begs the question: A comeback from what? It was HIAA
that brought 'Harry & Louise' to national attention in 1993 and reinforced their
role as the public face of the health insurance industry with additional ads in
2000. Given the importance of 'Harry & Louise' to HIAA, we intend to use every
means at our disposal to stop this misappropriation of our image."
HIAA is the nation's most prominent trade association representing the private
health care system. Its nearly 300 members provide health, long-term care,
dental, disability, and supplemental coverage to more than 100 million
Americans. It is the nation's premier provider of self-study courses on health
insurance and managed care. CONTACT: Randy
Clerihue of the Health Insurance Association of America, 202-824-1787; E-mail:
rclerihue@hiaa.org |
