LOCOG alerts brands over ambush marketing
It its bid to clamp down on ambush marketing London 2012 organiser LOCOG is to launch a major campaign informing brands of the risks they face if using ambush marketing techniques in the build-up to the Olympic Games.
Due to begin in September, the activity is likely to run across print, online, direct and outdoor. The campaign aims to avoid a repeat of the guerrilla marketing tactics seen at the last FIFA World Cup where Dutch beer brand Bavaria sent 36 female Holland fans dressed in bright orange mini-dresses (which were part of a Bavaria promotion) into the Holland vs. Denmark 2010 World Cup match.
It is feared that ambush marketing will hit unprecedented levels during the Olympics as rivals of sponsors (which include Adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, Lloyds TSB, Cadbury, Thomas Cook and John Lewis) try to benefit from the opportunities the event presents.
It is thought LOCOG, together with law firm Freshfields, has briefed brands and sponsorship agencies on the new rules surrounding ambush marketing, which will soon become law.
