I have seen a few news stories come into my RSS Reader but really haven't read them then today when watching television I saw a new Subway commercial featuring Michael Phelps. Sometimes the folks at Subway send me a heads up email with a link to embed the video of the ad but this time I just went right to youtube and found a longer version of the ad I saw. In fact the ad had been edited. So what is the big hub bub? Well first here is the original unedited ad:
The big hub bub is what marketers call "ambush marketing". Basically around the Olympics different companies try to latch on to Olympic Fever (Catch It! *raises fist in air and pumps it*) with ads that has images of sports or Olympic venues. The Subway ad alludes to Vancover with those snowtipped mountains. Subway responded to the USOC's attack on the ads in a NY Times article:
'Michael Phelps has been an integral part of several Subway marketing campaigns since late 2008,'' the company statement said. ''We are proud of our work with Michael and we look forward to working with him and other elite athletes throughout 2010 and beyond.' - source
In an article over at WaPo it seems Verizon is also trying to catch the Olympic Fever:
In another ad, this one for Verizon Wireless, a voice asks, as two speedskaters race on an icy oval, "What does it take to . . . succeed in a place with the highest level of intense competition?" - source
In the same article the USOC responded to ambush ads:
"The fundamental issue is, we want to protect our sponsors' rights, because it's only through the financial generosity of our sponsors and donors that our athletes can compete," - source
Personally I don't think that anyone is stupid enough to think that Michael Phelps will be swimming in the Winter Olympics. They didn't add Polar Bear Swimming did they? I understand that McDonald's is the official sponsor and it's money helps fund the USOC which trickles down money to the athletes. Although I don't think Phelps needs that stripend anymore. Strippers yes but not a stripend. I also think most American's understand the difference between the ambush ads and regular ads. They probably don't care that there is a difference. But since this is about sponsorship and marketing it boils down to retention of the ad itself and the makers of the ad. The more the USOC sends out press releases the more the press talks about it and the more folks like me at home look for the ad. I think they are making matters worse then they are. And then on top of that once the Olympics begin the viewers will be bombarded with voiceovers telling us who the official sponsors are with on air graphics all over the place. Our eyeballs and our retention of the ads and sponsor logos will be high. I wouldn't have ran to my computer after seeing the Subway ad if I hadn't remember seeing something online about some hub bub about the ad that then lead me to read 2 articles on the subject. Mind you in between I ran to Subway for a turkey sandwich. Had to pass two McDonald's first.
