Olympian struggle - Fans face boot for ... wrong brands at Games

[Book Lover]

http://www.halifaxherald.com/stories/2004/08/08/f202.raw.html

In a far cry from the high-minded ideals of humanity and tolerance embodied by the Olympics, the organizers of the Athens games have warned spectators that they could be barred for taking a surreptitious sip of Pepsi or an illicit bite from a Burger King Whopper.

Strict regulations published by Athens 2004 last week dictate that spectators may be refused admission to events if they are carrying food or drinks made by companies that did not see fit to sponsor the games.

...

An official familiar with the restrictions said: "We have to protect official sponsors who have paid millions to make the Olympics happen. There will be cases of individual spectators being allowed in wearing a T-shirt bearing the logo of a rival sports brand but anyone who tries to practise ambush marketing will be removed."

This will also apply to members of a crowd sitting next to each other wearing clothing with letters that spell out a political or religious message.

[hatrack]

1. Ooh! Ambush Marketing! How subversive!!

I'll change the world by wearing my Pepsi shirt to the Coca-Cola 500 NASCAR event!

[ender]

2. you wouldnt change the world...

but if 500 people showed up, dressed the same, then that would undermine the adv. dollars spent by the sponsopring corp.

[hatrack]

3. GOD FORBID!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good thing the Olympic authorities in Athens have enough time left over from the crackerjack job they've done on heading off possible terror strikes that they can block the entry of people into the Nike EnormoDome if they're wearing a Reebok shirt.

[tlcandie]

4. LoL!!! Yet again, unbelieveable!!!!

OMG!! The more I read the more I'm glad I don't care to go to any sports related events anymore!!

If I ever even think about it, my mind will forever laugh at the thought! I would much rather stay home and drink and eat and wear what I want!

I can understand that noone brings in food or beverages, but now we are talking clothes...ambush marketing?! Political or religious messages?!!? I mean aren't there ambiguous words/phrases out there?

It's almost to the point now that if you don't look right, walk right, speak right then you can't even think about entering this event!

ROFLMAO!!!! :crazy:

Sorry, but I won't pay my money for something like this!

[Retrograde]

5. There's an Olympics!?

There's an Olympics coming up? Seems to be almost a stealth event from all the news I've seen of it :-) Did they ever get that stadium built?

So what is ambush marketing anyway? Does remarking to the person next to you that you really prefer Pepsi to Coke count? Or wearing the wrong colored shirt? Can I wear my comfy Reeboks to a Nike-sponsored match? And do the Nike socks cancel out the shoes? I think I'll just stay home, which I was planning on doing anyway.

[Realityhack]

6. Check out

'The Corporation' for a good look at ambush or gurilla marketing.

Yes makeing the remark would count if you were paid to. Someone might also pay a hundred people to wear their brand of shirt or whatever to an event.

I can see stoping the messages large enough to see on TV like PEPSI spelled out accross 5 people.

But a few people eating burgers... My guess is the reporter is blowing this out of proportion for effect, or the organizers are to keep maketers away.

RH

[LisaM]

7. Wow, is Michael Jordan running things?

Remember when he said he couldn't wear the (official) Reebok warmup gear (and march in the parade) because Nike was his sponsor? No one objected to Michael the Great and his misplaced brand loyalty. Now it's a big deal?

[Ducks In A Row]

8. the games are a crock

[Nay]

9. This is the natural result of turning EVERYTHING into a

commercial event. Remember the good old days, when amateur athletes (OK, the Russians weren't exactly amateur) competed every 4 years for the love of the sport? Yeah, they might get ad deals afterwards, but the Games themselves were generally centered on athletic competition, not who sponsored what.

Now we have corporations fighting for space in our heads everywhere we go! Even in the goddamn audience! I have not watched the Olympics since it went "pro," and you have just added another reason to miss the whole sorry spectacle.

[Bo]

10. I used to enjoy the college era better to

it was much more fun.

[dw]

11. Maybe that's why the original Olympians competed in the nude

Maybe they were protesting having to wear sponsors' logos.

[tlcandie]

14. LoL!!!!

:+

[Dover]

12. The Olympics - Where Brand Names from around the world compete

to take home the gold....or dollars, Euros, ......any currency will do.

[tom_paine]

13. The Olympics are a bad joke these days especially now that we are

entering the Age of Totalitarianism.

Even if THAT wasn't making a mockery of things, the hyper-commercialism WOULD!

[TlalocW]

15. What school was it

Where the kid was sent home or suspended or otherwise punished for whipping off this Coca-Cola sweater (which every other kid had one) to show off a Pepsi shirt during some school photo to show thanks to Coke for giving them money... in exchange for all the advertising they could do on school grounds I'm sure.

TlalocW

[Rex]

16. This is what it has come to.

In ancient Greece, city-states would stop active warfare so that they all could compete against one another in sporting events. Nowadays we have a hollowed-out, three ring circus that involves whoring to the richest sponsor.

Maybe they should change the medals to better reflect our values; 1st place is a "Golden Arches" medal, 2nd is a "Silver Bullet" medal, 3rd place is a "Copper Tone" medal (couldn't think of anything for bronze).