It's seldom plagiarism," said Bob Garfield, ad critic for the trade publication Advertising Age, "especially if they are appearing simultaneously.

Bob Garfield, ad critic at Advertising Age, gave the ads three stars out of four.

The campaign disappeared in 1999 after widespread disapproval from customers and ad critics, replaced with more conventional ads offering warmer, fuzzier sentiments based on the word "united."

Most famously he was dismissed as a "steer in a half-sleeve shirt" by Bob Garfield, the influential ad critic of the trade publication Advertising Age.

Bob Garfield, the ad critic at Advertising Age, said: "It grabbed my attention instantly.

Bob Garfield, the ad critic for the trade publication Advertising Age, called the first round of commercials "strikingly cruel."

"These characters are more beloved than family members," said Barbara Lippert, ad critic for Adweek magazine.

Several ad critics found the Hancock ad depressing.

"I really think he didn't think of the repercussions," said Barbara Lippert, the ad critic of the trade publication Adweek.