Australian Olympic Committee loses fight to stop Telstra advertising Olympic links with Seven

July 29, 2016 3:05

The Australian Olympic Committee has lost its fight to stop Telstra running ads promoting its sponsorship of the Seven Network’s Olympics app in a shock judgement in the Federal Court this afternoon.

The AOC launched the case against the Telstra campaign two weeks ago after it began promoting its sponsorship of Seven’s Olympics app, saying that Telstra was illegally using protected Olympic phrases and trying to suggest it remained a sponsor of the Australian Olympic team a year after it ended its relationship with the AOC.

The AOC said the use of Peter Allen’s hit ‘I Go to Rio’ in the ads was aimed at misleading the public into thinking Telstra continued to be associated with the Games.

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Simon Canning

Simon Canning was Mumbrella's marketing and advertising editor from 2015-2017. In a career spanning journalism and communications over more than 30 years Simon has become one of Australia’s most respected analysts and commentators on the advertising, marketing and media industries. A regular commentator on radio and TV, Simon has also worked in media in the US and UK .

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3 COMMENTS

Stuart Corner 29 Jul 16

I think line 3
the Seven was illegally using protected Olympic phrases and trying to

Should read
that Telstra was illegally….

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Miranda Ward 29 Jul 16

Hi Stuart,
Thanks for the heads-up, we have fixed that up.
Cheers,
Miranda – Mumbrella

Monkeyvellian 29 Jul 16

Why is this a “shock” Simon? Did you have contrary legal advice? Telstra is lawyered to the gunwhales. They would have gone over all comms with a fine tooth comb. The Olympic movement doesn’t have unlimited power to ringfence its IP. Telstra has sponsored the telecast and is entitled to publicise that involvement.

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