About two months to go, the Beijing Olympic organizers pledged on Tuesday to fend off on any illegal advertising related to the Games.
Chen Feng, deputy director of the marketing department of the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee (BOCOG), told a press conference that Beijing would strengthen the clampdown on violations of Olympics related patents, trademarks and copyrights during the Aug.8-24 Games.
"From July 11, all prominent advertising space in Beijing, including at the airport and on subway lines, will be controlled, giving official sponsors priority," said Chen.
"Companies will be monitored for illegal advertising and serious action will be taken against violators."
Ambush marketing is a form of sports marketing. It becomes a problem when a company tries to create an unauthorized association between its name, its brand, and the Olympics.
While multinationals like Coca-Cola and Samsung paid tens of millions of U.S. dollars to link their names with the Beijing Olympics, ambush marketers try to use the publicity surrounding the games to promote their products without paying for the right.
Chen said spectators will also be under careful scrutiny for possible unauthorized advertising.
"If a group of spectators wear the same clothes, then it is suspicious," he said. "We will then talk with them and try to stop it."
BOCOG and the China Advertising Association issued a written proposal aimed at joint anti-ambush marketing.
The proposal states that advertising agencies should increase their understanding of Olympic marketing regulations, respect professional ethics, and not engage in ambush marketing activities.
(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2008)