How to avoid breaching Olympic Games marketing guidelines

When it comes to protecting their branding, nobody is as overzealous as the International Olympic Committee.

Rule 40 is a by-law in the Olympic Charter that decrees that only approved sponsors can reference what is known as “Olympic-related terms”, including the rings, any mottos, insignia, anthems, all the way down to the Eiffel Tower if the Games happen to be taking place in a city with such a structure.

The rules and restrictions are wide-ranging, confusing, and — if you were hoping to cash in on the Games with a bit of related marketing, perhaps something referring ‘Olympic-sized sales’, or ‘Going For Gold’ — then IOC’s Rule 40 could land you in a lot of trouble.