The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION notes that ACOG's ambush marketing
team is enforcing its trademark protection rules beyond
commercial enterprises, to non-profits, chambers of commerce,
tourist bureaus, and even schools, churches and charities. ACOG
attorney Bruce Baber: "The rules are the same for everybody, big
or small, well-intentioned or not. It's the fairest way"
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 7/22).
ATTACK ON THE BIG MAC: The "world's largest flying
hamburger" -- a 65-foot-tall, 400-pound hot air balloon shaped
like a Whopper -- will be floating around Atlanta to promote
Burger King during the Games. McDonald's is the official
sponsor. ACOG's Darby Coker: "It's old-fashioned bad manners.
These are folks that are crashing the party and trying to sell
things" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 7/20).
MORE ON NIKE'S SWOOSH INTO TOWN: CNN's "Moneyline" noted
the "fierce marketing battle" being waged between Official
Sponsor Reebok and Nike, "which has literally ambushed their way
into the Olympic Games." ISI President Frank Vuono, on Reebok's
response: "It may take more than what Reebok is willing to put
in, after they spent the millions of dollars they spent for their
official association and after they spent all their marketing
dollars in this particular effort, with Nike hammering away at
them" (CNN, 7/19). USA TODAY's Melanie Wells notes Nike "is
running circles" around ACOG sponsors. A USA TODAY/Gallup poll
of Atlanta residents mentioned Nike most frequently when asked to
name three Olympic sponsors (USA TODAY, 7/22). GM COVERS UP
"CHEVY" LOGO: The chrome pick-ups featured in Friday's Opening
Ceremony appeared without Chevrolet logos on their tailgates.
General Motors VP & GM Phil Guarascio said they were
"disappointed" with the IOC's decision saying that they thought
they had "an understanding" with ACOG about how the trucks would
be used and what they would look like (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
7/20). MEDIA GREED-BASHING: The ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER's Mark
Whicker: "The holy war against commercialism is basically a case
of the media talking to themselves. ... The people don't seem to
care" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 7/21). THE ECONOMIST profiles the
"Zillion Dollar Games" (ECONOMIST, 7/20 issue). In New York,
William Rhoden writes, "The bottom line is that bills must be
paid" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/20). USA TODAY's Melanie Wells refers to
Centennial Olympic Park as "Logo's Over Atlanta" (USA TODAY,
7/22). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser: "It's hard to figure the
Olympics completely as an athletic event anymore. It's more or
less a trade show now." Kornheiser also called Atlanta "an awful
hot-bed of greed" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 7/21).
ENDORSEMENT GAME: In the first of an occasional series, USA
TODAY profiles the endorsement possibilities of six U.S.
athletes/teams -- Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Michael Johnson,
Dominique Moceanu, Janet Evans, Carl Lewis and Dream Team -- on
"personal pizzaz," "on-camera presence," "athletic ability" and
"Rodman potential" (USA TODAY, 7/22). MARKETING NOTES:
WASHINGTON POST profiles different corporate strategies, noting
that, as a whole, there is a trend away from "tear-inducing" ads
(WASHINGTON POST, 7/21). ....The N.Y. TIMES will track stock
prices of sponsors and competitors through the end of the Games
(N.Y. TIMES, 7/21).
....Two news outlets profiled the debut of smart cards at the
Games. The ORLANDO SENTINEL notes that NationsBank and First
Union have dueling marketing campaigns, with Wachovia Bank also
testing a Visa smart card (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/21). The PHILA.
INQUIRER notes Visa is using the Games "for a massive
introduction of smart cards" (PHILA. INQUIRER, 7/21)....Anheuser-
Busch presented ACOG's Billy Payne with a four-month-old
Clydesdale named "Billy" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 7/22)....Air space
above Atlanta has been restricted to mostly media helicopters and
non-commercial blimps (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 7/21)....USA TODAY
notes that mascot Izzy seems to be "AWOL" (USA TODAY,
7/22)....CNBC's Karen Gibbs looked at the business of Olympic
licensing. Gibbs profiled New York-based Identity, one of 120
companies that was granted an Olympic license ("SportsView,"
7/19).
