Target and Its Ubiquitous Bull's-Eye Ambush Olympics
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Wednesday, February 15, 2006 12:15 PM
Retail chain Target has apparently been successful in getting its logo splashed all over the site of the Winter Olympics without paying the hefty price tag associated with being an official Olympic sponsor. In a classic case of ambush marketing, the chain's bull's-eye logo can be seen on the exterior of trains carrying spectators through the mountains to view sports like skiing and bobsledding. Target teamed up with Trenitalia, the Italian train system, in a deal that allowed the company to somehow avoid laws that make it a crime to affiliate a non-sponsor with the Olympics. Ever since 1984, the Olympics have relied on corporations to help fund the games. This year, companies like Coke, Kodak, McDonald's and others have paid more than $50 million to stage the Winter Games. In return, the Olympic organizers are supposed to keep away any nonofficial brands. Their measures, from lawsuits to nitpicking, are legendary and numerous. But Target's status as an unknown entity in Italy has apparently helped it avoid such scrutiny. "I've never heard of this company," said Simone Greco, 19, of Turin, who carried a pair of inflated plastic "thunder sticks" from Target into the Bardonecchia snowboarding venue.
Read the whole story at Atlanta Journal-Constitution »
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