Australian Mining ad banned for Olympics ambushing marketing breach
Meares in banned ad
BHP Billiton branding in the ad
An ad for Australian Mining has landed in hot water with the Olympic Committee for breaching rules on ambush marketing.
The ad features Olympic cyclist Anna Meares wearing clothing branded by her sponsor BHP Billiton – a rival to official Olympic sponsor Rio Tinto.
The ad, which has run on TV as well as online, has been taken down by the mining lobby group.
I tried to view the video here and it says its private!?
School boy errors.
What happened to the concept of the “free market”?
What happened to corporate leaders with enough backbone to defy IOC totalitarianism?
What happened to business people with the ticker to tell the Olympic Committee to stick it up their arse?
If everyone embraces – and as a group enforces – the free market, the IOCs of this world are screwed. Markets become more dynamic and more profitable for more players.
If the Olympic sponsorships value is reduced as a result, nobody cares except the IOC and their gravy-train. Maybe it’s time for a “Marketing Spring” uprising.
Isn’t Rio Tinto part of Australian Mining (Minerals Council)?
http://www.minerals.org.au/cor....._directors
Mike what are you on about!! Its a slippery slope you suggest, something akin to Optus TV, devaluing IP across the board. Perhaps we could go the way of the Music industry, they’ve been going well in the “free market”. Granted some events like Olympics etc have pretty draconian IP rules, but its as a result of “clever people” always looking for ways to undermine value.
And Ben, they sure are, someone fell asleep at the wheel and let the agencies have their “lets push the rules” fun.
As far as I was aware the Olympic blackout period for protected sponsors didn’t commence until 16 July. BHP are clear to have personal endorsements and use athletes images until this time…
The blackout period for non-sponsors trading on Olympic association (either directly or via competing athletes) starts on 16th July and ends 15th Aug. For this 31 day period the Official Sponsors of The Games are afforded the protection any major event sponsor is given for their significant financial investment. The rules have been in place since 1984 and hundreds of brands and agencies have operated within them for this time. Every 4 years we get a few examples like this tossed around by the media to whip up a frenzy. The facts are pretty simple. If not for AOC sponsor funding, up to half the Australian team would have been left at home this year. A fair window of exclusivity is surely not too much to ask in return for allowing us to send the very best of our athletes to compete on this global stage?
Want to see this ad then go to the movies, I went last night and this ad is still be played there