If Nike's "billboard-driven ambush" of Reebok at the
Atlanta Games in '96 was an "in-your face attack, Qantas'
assault on Ansett has been built on a series of guerilla
excursions," and the "result has been equally deadly,"
according to Lehmann & McGuire of the AUSTRALIAN. As part
of Qantas' effort, the airline is running an ad every day
during the Olympics on the front page of the Sydney Morning
Herald, and "even in Ansett terminals, the patriotic strains
of Qantas' theme song have blared out" from TV sets, as part
of the company's A$7.78M ad deal with Games broadcaster
Seven. Qantas' Olympic strategy "was simple -- sign up
potential Olympic stars; devise an emotional advertising
campaign reinforcing Qantas' Australian-ness; continue to
sponsor Australian sport but with an accent on Olympic
events ... and pounce on opportunities to cement Olympic
business relationships." Former Ansett Olympics GM Glenn
Robertson acknowledged that he "would have had second
thoughts" about the company's Olympic sponsorship "had he
considered" that Seven would be "allowed to sign up Ansett's
rivals." But Robertson "maintains" that the sponsorship has
been "of great benefit" to the company, as it can "directly
trace income worth five times" its A$50M investment.
Additionally, Robertson said Ansett has been "able to do
deals" with other Olympic sponsors, including Coca-Cola,
McDonald's, IBM and Westpac (AUSTRALIAN, 9/20).
