John Butler Trio, an independent folk rock band as famous for its political messages and activism as its music, issued a brief statement saying it was looking into the Oikos yoghurt ad featuring actor John Stamos.
"Thank you everyone for making us aware of the Oikos Greek yogurt TV ad that aired during the Super Bowl featuring a song that sounds extremely similar to Zebra," the band's management said.
"John Butler and his management were not aware of this usage until yesterday, and we will be seeking advice as how to address the issue."
The National Football League championship has long doubled as a showcase for the creative talents of America's advertising industry and a record 111.3 million people tuned in on Sunday night.
Butler won an Australian music industry award for "Zebra", the debut single from his third studio album, and it is one of his best known and most popular songs.
Oikos, a Greek yoghurt brand owned by Dannon, the US subsidiary of French dairy giant Danone, said a "question about the music in our Super Bowl commercial has been brought to our attention".
"We are working to fully understand and address the situation. We apologise for any concern this had caused John Butler Trio's band members and fans," the yoghurt brand said on its Facebook page.
Outraged fans bombarded the Dannon and Oikos social media sites demanding the band be compensated and the issue addressed.
"JBT are an independent band who have worked damn hard to be where they are," one fan wrote.
"No company has the right to steal their music to make a profit no matter how many people enjoyed the ad or love the yoghurt."
Added another: "A complete rip off of John Butler Trio's 'Zebra', and so against the Butler image to be seen in such a corporate sphere.
"Roll out the cheque book guys. You're going to need a big one."
