Much to the "annoyance" of official Sydney Olympics
sponsors Nike and Ansett, "shrewd marketing" by adidas and
Qantas has "resulted in the average Australian incorrectly
naming the companies as official supporters of the Games,"
according to a survey of 1,000 people conducted in June and
July by Australia-based Sweeney Research cited by Andrew
Hornery of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The survey found that
adidas ranked seventh and Qantas eighth among the top ten
most-recognized Olympic sponsors, while Nike and Ansett
placed sixth and third, respectively. Sydney-based
sponsorship consultant Kim Skildum-Reid: "Both Ansett and
Qantas are enjoying the benefits of being associated with
the Olympics but only Ansett had to pay the huge sum to be a
sponsor. I think a lot of sponsors have missed an
opportunity and wasted a lot of money becoming sponsors."
Qantas, which ended its 40-year association with the
Olympics after the '96 Atlanta Games, has signed "high-
profile" Australian Olympic athletes like swimmer Ian Thorpe
and runner Cathy Freeman (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 8/15). The
AUSTRALIAN's Michael McGuire noted the Sweeney survey shows
that adidas is the company "most often connected to the
Olympics outside of the official sponsors." Sweeney Sports
Dir Martin Hirons said that the survey showed the company
had a "strong link with swimming and 'through the use of Ian
Thorpe, they have been quite prominent'" (AUSTRALIAN, 8/15).
RACY AT THE RACES: ADWEEK's David Gianatasio reports
that the "latest national TV push" for John Hancock
Financial Services, via Hill, Holiday, Connors, Cosmopulos,
"includes a potentially controversial" ad featuring two
women who adopt a baby. The spot has been "teased" in the
past week on NBC's gymnastics programming and will run next
month on the net's Sydney coverage (ADWEEK, 8/14 issue). In
Ottawa, Melanie Brooks wrote that a "suggestive" Carlsberg
beer ad "set to hit TV during the Olympics will be certain
to raise a few eyebrows." The ad shows "three attractive
women sitting in a bar and talking about a man one of them
is dating. The other two are pumping her for details about
the man's sexual prowess, and she gives the straight goods -
- including a suggestive swooping motion with her hand,
meant to demonstrate a sex act" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 8/15).
