Olympics: "You're not allowed to wear that logo sir."

[srobert]

—> Click me to read whole article <— (http://www.halifaxherald.com/stories/2004/08/08/f202.raw.html)

Some extracts:

Fans will be allowed into the Olympic complex if they are drinking Avra, a Greek mineral water owned by Coca-Cola, which paid $60 million US for the privilege of being one of the main sponsors. Officials are under orders not to let in rival brands' bottles unless the labels are removed.

Staff will also be on the lookout for T-shirts, hats and bags displaying the unwelcome logos of non-sponsors. Stewards have been trained to detect people who may be wearing merchandise from the sponsors' rivals in the hope of catching the eyes of television audiences. Those arousing suspicion will be required to wear their T-shirts inside out.

Known as the "clean venue policy," the rules were drawn up by the Greeks and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to shield sponsors from so-called "ambush marketing" - an attempt to advertise items during the games without paying sponsorship fees.

Has it always been like this?

Well, at least they might "accidently" find a bomb while searching attendees for unwelcomed brands.

[Mr. Anderson]

That's just sad, though. That the games have become a political target, a terrorist target and now an economic target that requires policing.

And whats to stop ambush marketing from happening anyway? Where your shirt inside out and then put it back again once in your seat?

Stupid, stupid, stupid....

D

[friarbayliff]

In all fairness, companies do play dirty tricks like ambush marketing. They'll send people or items into public places with the hopes that their logo will be seen by masses of people without having to pay any advertisement fees. This isn't really fair to the legitimate advertisers who put millions of dollars into advertising their products. Unfortunately, the side product is the inconvenience to the public.

And yes, the Olympic Games are highly-commercialized - but that's the only way the get hosted in the first place - for the economic gain tied to having the entire world seeing images of your product.

[Mantat]

And yes, the Olympic Games are highly-commercialized - but that's the only way the get hosted in the first place - for the economic gain tied to having the entire world seeing images of your product.

Actualy, up to the olympics of Calgary (Canada), advertisement and sponsorship was much less present and the games survived.

Personnaly, I think the olympic ideal is long lost. Every athlete is so specialized that the general public cant relate to them. So to correct this, a new decathlon should be created that would mixt:
- 100m sprint
- 42.2km marathon
- weight lifting
- boxing
- javelin
- rowing
- cycling
- swiming
- jumping
- random sport

The winner to this would be a true athlete, able to perform in a broad range of sports and would deserve a crap load of respect.

Of course, I am kiding but still I have way more respects for the greek athletes who didnt perform for money but only for a crown of laurel (sp?) and a sculpture of themselves for posterity.

Remove all the money from the sport and we might be able to get back that feeling...

[gwuMACaddict]

wow... thats *really* bizzare... i've never heard of anything like that before in previous years... definitely lame...

[Don't panic]

...a new decathlon should be created that would mixt:
- 100m sprint
- 42.2km marathon
- weight lifting
- boxing
- javelin
- rowing
- cycling
- swiming
- jumping
- random sport

The winner to this would be a true athlete, able to perform in a broad range of sports and would deserve a crap load of respect.

Of course, I am kiding but still I have way more respects for the greek athletes who didnt perform for money but only for a crown of laurel (sp?) and a sculpture of themselves for posterity.

Remove all the money from the sport and we might be able to get back that feeling...

I would like your new decathlon with the exception of boxing (both philosophically -i don't like sports whose declared aim is to hurt your opponent- and technically -how is a beat-up athlete going to perform in the next event?-). I would substitute wrestling.

I agree that the sponsors presence should be less invasive, but i'm not positive it was very different before. I think a turning point was Los Angeles, when the Games went "private" and basically they sold out to big corporations.
I can see the need to prevent blatant ambush advertising, but one thing is an organized gag, an entirely different thing is the average spectator being dictated what to wear. It's ridicoulous (and I don't know the laws in greece, but is it even legal?).
It's not that they give out the tickets for free.

As far as the ancient greek athletes, far from competing for a crown of laurel, they were among the richest people of their days and made extensive use of performance-enhancing techniques.

Just like today.

[srobert]

I would like your new decathlon with the exception of boxing (both philosophically -i don't like sports whose declared aim is to hurt your opponent- and technically -how is a beat-up athlete going to perform in the next event?-). I would substitute wrestling.

On a humorous note, I'm not sure athletes would escape completely uninjured from traditional Greco-Roman wrestling. I once saw a statue depicting to naked Greek wrestlers and one of the guys was grabbing his adversary buy the... wee-wee. Ouchy. Wanna know where I saw that statue? I think it was for sale in an ad in Astronomy magazine... go figure.

:)

Edit: Ouchie... looks like greek wrestling was more intense than I thought:

Strangulation was most feared during ground combat, and was the leading cause of death in matches

This quote came from this site about olympic greek wrestling. (http://www.greece.org/olympics/research/wrestling/)

[belair]

I like sports.I even like watching sports on TV.
But lately I just find it harder to enjoy it. Knowing about all the doping issues.
Doping has been around for a very long time but today we know more about it.

Everytime I see an athlete win a 100 meter sprint. I ask myself. Yeah but could he have done it without his personnal doctor?

For me that is the ultimate olympic games spoiler.

Do you remember those RDA (old east german) women swimming athletes. Some of them were really good at the time. But some of them turned to men after the games. :eek:
I am not joking. Some of them underwent such heavy hormone treatments that they ended up with manly voices and beard growth.
That's just wrong.

The advertising is bad but athletes putting their live on the line is worse.

[srobert]

...Knowing about all the doping issues...For me that is the ultimate olympic games spoiler.

You're absolutly right. But I think everybody aprove of stricter, more thorough screening for drugs... but I don't aprove of stricter, more thorough logo censorship. :)

P.S.: I usually don't wear clothes depicting corporate logos. I feel I should receive a discount for giving them free publicity and not the opposite. But that is another topic. :D

[Mr. Anderson]

One year, during the ancient games, a wrestler took home the prize by breaking all his opponents fingers in every match he competed in. They couldn't grab at him with 10 broken fingers :D

Needless to say, the ancients changed the rules the next time around that breaking fingers was not allowed.

D

[superfunkomatic]

this is completely ridiculous.
can't people have any choices without being told what to do by gov't or big corporations. soon you won't be allowed near a lot of the buildings in times square new york without wearing at least one piece of disney clothing, or mickey mouse ears. any clothing depicting other cartoon or movie characters is strictly forbidden.
i've seen very few features on american or canadian tv about athletes but lots about commercialism and of course terrorism and security for the games.

[emw]

I can see it now - Levi's and Fruit-of-the Loom sponsor the Olympics and somebody shows up in their Lees Dungarees.

"Um, sorry sir, but you're going to have to remove your pants."

"Okay, but I'm wearing Hanes underneath..."

[Chip NoVaMac]

That's just sad, though. That the games have become a political target, a terrorist target and now an economic target that requires policing.

And whats to stop ambush marketing from happening anyway? Where your shirt inside out and then put it back again once in your seat?

Stupid, stupid, stupid....

D

Yeah, just look at the Today Show crowd on any morning.

[jayscheuerle]

this is completely ridiculous.
can't people have any choices without being told what to do by gov't or big corporations.

I'd rather be told what to do by a government than be manipulated into something by a corporation (which is the idea of advertising). If you think you're wearing that shirt with the Nike or Coca Cola logo on it by choice, then the marketers have done their job.

Of course, this very type of manipulation is what Apple excels at... - j

[ejb190]

Did anyone see the Brickyard 400 last week? Gordon won, but stopped his car at the finish line and never did get to victory lane. I guess there has a lot of problems with Coke sponsored drivers refusing to be seen with Gatorade products (a race sponsor) in Victory Lane. I heard NASCAR was considering fining the team for that stunt.

Corportate sponsorship - the cola wars of the 80's are back!

e.

[Sun Baked]

—> Click me to read whole article <— (http://www.halifaxherald.com/stories/2004/08/08/f202.raw.html)

Some extracts:



Has it always been like this?

Well, at least they might "accidently" find a bomb while searching attendees for unwelcomed brands.The good news is that they'll probably have these logo scofflaws in jail faster than any properly attired terrorist that happens to walk by. :o

The logo police, what a concept. :rolleyes:

[Loge]

"We have to protect official sponsors who have paid millions to make the Olympics happen"

Right, they never happened before then. And those ancient Olympics were obviously just myths.

[virividox]

thats insane. as long as the clothes arent lewd or depict violence or racist/biggoted sentiments then they should be allowed in; i mean its such an inconvenience to change or wear it inside out just because you are wearing a non approved company shirt

[job]

"We have to protect official sponsors who have paid millions to make the Olympics happen"

Right, they never happened before then. And those ancient Olympics were obviously just myths.

Well, if you don't want the corporate sponsorship, then have fun running the 100 meters barefoot (or in homemade leather sandals.)

I'm sure you'll set a world record...

Note: I have run a 2:10 half-mile barefoot on a modern (read: 2 year old) track before. I could not feel my feet for the rest of the day.

[broken_keyboard]

I think people can tell the difference between some fat hairy Greek in the crowd with an old Pepsi t-shirt vs. an official sponsers logo on a real athletes shiny uniform. People won't mistake it as an official endorsement.

[JeffTL]

What if you bring your Mac laptop...with the light-up Apple logo? Do they refuse admission? :p

[Counterfit]

What if you bring your Mac laptop...with the light-up Apple logo? Do they refuse admission? :p Well, I would hope so then. Not because of sponsor issues, but because you'd be the kind of stupid ****wit that would bring a laptop to a sporting event. (Journalists are, or course, exempt from that :D)

[Loge]

Seems ironic that some of the sponsors are selling the kind of food that would pretty much guarantee you'd never be fit enough to compete in the Olympics anyway.

[njmac]

I hate wearing logo clothing anyway (unless 'course its from apple) ;)

[dubbz]

I would like your new decathlon with the exception of boxing (both philosophically -i don't like sports whose declared aim is to hurt your opponent- and technically -how is a beat-up athlete going to perform in the next event?-). I would substitute wrestling.

Boxing could be the last event... Last man/woman standing is the winner ;)

[wdlove]

It just seems that everything has become so commercialized. Just can't seem to live with them, but can't live without them. I heard that our athletes have been told to tone down their enthusiasm when winning a medal. Now even the celebrations are being curtailed.

[sonyrules]

Remove all the money from the sport and we might be able to get back that feeling...

Unfortuatly, Remove the money, and watch the Event shrink majorly. It sad that everything has to be based on money. What happen to doing things for the fun of it... sad sad sad

[Chip NoVaMac]

Well, if you don't want the corporate sponsorship, then have fun running the 100 meters barefoot (or in homemade leather sandals.)

I'm sure you'll set a world record...

Note: I have run a 2:10 half-mile barefoot on a modern (read: 2 year old) track before. I could not feel my feet for the rest of the day.

I am tired of money deciding on who wins. It should be a merit of the athlete, as opposed to the suit or shoes he/she wears. Science should not be part of the Olympics. The "Cold War" is over.

[Chip NoVaMac]

It just seems that everything has become so commercialized. Just can't seem to live with them, but can't live without them. I heard that our athletes have been told to tone down their enthusiasm when winning a medal. Now even the celebrations are being curtailed.

And the lack or morals. Athletes are supposed to be the icons that kids in particular look up to. Role models if you will.

It is my bias that says that someone that has children without the benefit of marriage is a violation. But someone who is willing to admit that they are Gay, without a wife, can be a role model.

[kerb]

Coca Cola has sponsored the Olympic games since 1928, think of all the legitimate money they've poured into it.

Then it's undermined when the TV cameras cut to a bunch of jolly fans with face paint and wigs on, all with Pepsi on their shirt.


*Note* I've worked for Coca Cola in their advertising and marketing sector. So I'm only ever so slightly biased.

[zv470]

Umm... "Excuse me Sir! I need to ask you to remove your laptop, that Apple logo is in clear violation of Games Law, by order of the IOC!" :D