Atlanta organizers are "preparing for the most aggressive
counterassault yet against ambushes of official sponsors," but AD
AGE's Jeff Jensen asks: "Will anyone really want to ride the
coattails of the sponsors' megabuck efforts tied to the ['96
Games]?" Many execs believe the marketplace will be so
"cluttered with Olympic efforts that it will be difficult for
even a sponsor to effectively leverage its investment." Even so,
ACOG and the IOC are employing the following anti-ambush tactics:
Letters have been sent to ad agencies and media outlets, "warning
them not to execute ambush programs or accept media dollars from
them." If the warnings fail, they will "embarrass ambushers with
ad campaigns or even sue them." Furthermore, a director of
sponsor protection has been hired to head up an "anti-ambush"
staff -- the first time an "Olympic organizing committee has
taken such a measure" (AD AGE, 3/13 issue).
OLYMPIC NOTES: GA Gov. Zell Miller added another $2.75M to
the state's budget for security, bringing the state's total
commitment to security to $4.35M. The amended '95 and proposed
'96 budgets also include $8.5M in cost overruns for construction
of the Olympic Village at GA Tech (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
3/14)....Now that the Day 500 mark has passed, many of the
planned downtown projects "are coming up short on time, money and
construction resources" (Sallye Salter, ATLANTA CONTSTITUTION,
3/12).
