Illegal advertisers during Olympics to be punished

As official sponsors reap the benefits of investing in the Beijing Olympics, Chinese authorities are constantly battling to keep the unauthorised brands and companies from displaying their products and logos to audiences in the Olympic arenas.

According to the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games, advertisements not authorised by the committee featuring athletes or coaches related to the Olympic Games are banned from branding their products or services.

The ban, which was reported by China Daily, is part of a range of measures introduced by the committee on June 3 to crackdown on ambush marketing during the Games.

China Daily said from July 11 to September 17, all prominent advertising sites in Beijing – including those at the airport, railway stations, main streets and areas around Olympic venues – are being closely monitored and priority will be given only to official Olympic sponsors.

Unofficial advertisers beware: Using unauthorised five-ring logos, selling unauthorised versions of the fuwa mascots and trying to persuade the public a company is part of the Olympic family through advertising is subject to the crackdown.

Those found in violation of using illegal advertising, or using Olympic symbols without authorisation, will be punished.

Sponsors pay up to $65 million (Dh239m) for the right to affiliate their brand with the Olympics, and they do not want their advertisements eclipsed by non-paying competitors. China Daily said the job of policing the marketing landscape is generally left to the host country, the IOC and national organising committees.

The Beijing Games has 12 global sponsors in the top partners programme, with contributions totalling around $900 million. And an additional $1billion is from local marketing contracts with 11 partners of 2008, 10 sponsors, 15 exclusive suppliers and 15 suppliers.