UncategorizedFebruary 25, 2008 7:13 am
Top 10 Ambush marketing Happenings of the World…
- 1984 Olympics; Kodak sponsors TV broadcasts of the games as well as the US track team despite Fujifilm being the official sponsor.
- 1988 Summer Olympics; Fujifilm sponsors the games despite Kodak being the official sponsor.
- 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona; Nike sponsors press conferences with the US basketball team despite Reebok being the official sponsor. During ceremonies, the players covered their Reebok logos.
- 1994 Winter Olympics; American Express sponsors the games despite Visa being the official sponsor.
- 1996 Atlanta Olympics; sprinter Linford Christie wore contact lenses embossed with the Puma AG logo at the press conference preceding the 100 metres final, despite Reebok being the official sponsor.
- 1996 Cricket World Cup; Pepsi ran a series of advertisements titled "Nothing official about it" targeting the official sponsor Coca Cola.
- 1998 World Cup; Nike sponsored a number of teams competing in the Cup despite Adidas being the official sponsor.
- 2000 Sydney Olympics; Qantas Airlines’ slogan "The Spirit of Australia" sounds strikingly similar to the games’ slogan "Share the Spirit." despite Ansett Air being the official sponsor.
- 2002 Boston Marathon; as Adidas-sponsored runners come off the course Nike are treated to spray-painted messages honoring the day of the race, but not the race itself.
- 2003 Cricket World Cup; Indian players threatened to strike over concerns that the anti-ambush marketing rules were too strict. Of particular concern was the length of time before and after the cup that players were not allowed to endorse a rival to one of the official sponsors. Players argued that if they had pre-existing contracts that they would be in breach of them if they were to accept the ICC’s rules.
- 2006 FIFA World Cup; fans of the Netherlands had to disrobe Bavaria Brewery’s leeuwenhosen because Budweiser was the official beer sponsor.
