LOCOG Investigate Honda Campaign for Ambush Marketing

London 2012 Olympic organisers (LOCOG) have revealed their intention to investigate Honda’s new digital advertising campaign to decide whether or not it has breached Olympic rules on advertising.

The campaign features British Olympic athletes Ed Clancy, Beth Tweddle, Goldie Sayers and Jazmin Carlin, to showcase their talents in the run up to the London 2012 Games.

However, Honda has no official commercial ties with the Games and BMW is the official car sponsor, leading to allegations that Honda is trying to tap into the publicity of the Olympic Games for its own benefit. 

A spokesperson for Honda argued: “We have had a relationship with Ed Clancy for a couple of years. And we have an existing relationship with Beth Tweddle.

“The other relationships spawned from these. We have not been hunting out Olympians. This is a long-term campaign.”

According to International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines, ambush marketing is considered as, “all intentional and unintentional attempts to create a false or unauthorised commercial association with the Olympic Movements or the Olympic Games.” 

“This includes a non-partner company’s use of creative means to generate a false association with the Olympic games.”