Jack Daniel’s tells its brand is harmed by dog toy Bad Spaniels

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At the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday, one side will be talking about its iconic liquor bottle as its valued trademark. The other side will be talking about parody and free expression. And both will be talking about dog poop.

Jack Daniel’s, the famous Tennessee whiskey company, is trying to stop production and marketing of a chewy dog toy called Bad Spaniels. The toy, shaped and decorated like a Jack Daniel’s bottle, features a spaniel and the name “Bad Spaniels” on the label instead of the iconic Jack Daniel’s name. And instead of promising 40% alcohol by volume, it promises “43% poo by volume, 100% smelly.”

The vinyl bottle is part of a line of chewy dog toys, called Silly Squeakers, which parodies other famous brands and is manufactured by VIP products, the country’s second-largest dog toy manufacturer.

VIP’s owner, Stephen Sacra, says he got the idea for the Bad Spaniels parody when he was out for dinner and found himself staring at the back of a bar, and the iconic Jack Daniel’s bottle. On the spot, he took out his phone, called his graphics designer, “and I said, I got two words for you: Bad Spaniels.”
Within 48 hours, they had the draft design for a new toy that is now the company’s best-selling product in major stores across the country.