The mobile Maori TV billboard (pictured bottom right) is currently on Khyber Pass in central Auckland and has ruffled a few feathers at Warner Bros.

The production company behind The Bachelor are taking on Maori TV over a billboard it claims deliberately infringed its rights.

Maori TV was handed a cease and desist order from Warner Brothers over its Lover Boy vs Lavalava Boy campaign to promote its new show Game of Bros.

Its outdoor advert for the show was parked up adjacent to a permanent billboard promoting The Bachelor on Khyber Pass in central Auckland.

Maori TV An exciting new Pan-Pacific warrior challenge show as comedians "Pani and Pani" go in search of the "Mr Lavalava" of their dreams.

"Our marketing budget simply doesn't compare to other networks so we have to be creative and try new things to reach audiences," said Maori TV's head of content Mike Rehu.

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TV3 Warner Bros aren't happy with Maori TV's "lover boy vs lava boy" campaign.

"We regard the Lover Boy vs Lavalava Boy campaign as a bit of harmless fun aimed at getting viewers to tune into Game of Bros," he said.

"We didn't for one minute think we would ruffle the feathers of one of the largest media companies in the world."

MediaWorks issued a statement on behalf of Warner Bros on Thursday afternoon that read:

"A cease and desist notice was issued to Maori Television as the marketing campaign for Game of Bros deliberately infringes on the proprietary rights of the owners of The Bachelor format.

"The campaign contravenes numerous aspects of the Fair Trading Act and as such we are entitled to take all necessary steps to protect the brand".

A Maori TV spokesperson told Stuff the station was simply trying to "increase the talkability of new shows during the new season" with their Mr LavaLava campaign.

The billboard features an engagement ring in place of the letter 'o' and embraces a similar design concept to that of The Bachelor New Zealand promotional advertising.

The game show, which launches on Maori TV on March 17, features a whole host of shirtless Pacific Island men, competing in a new "Pan-Pacific warrior challenge" fronted by comedians Pani and Pani.

The trailer for the series features a slow-motion sequence of a buff, shirtless man showering, while the comedians watch on in admiration.

The visuals are accompanied with a voice-over that echoes "Maori television is about to get hotter."