“加油2008”、“××奧運助威團”……隨著北京奧運會的臨近，在奧運贊助商緊鑼密鼓地進行宣傳的同時，一些非奧運贊助商也開始打起奧運的主意，一批打著奧運擦邊球的促銷活動開始出現在媒體和街頭。針對隱性市場行為，昨日，北京奧組委聯手中國廣告協會共同發布了《防范奧運隱性市場廣告行為倡議書》，該倡議書從奧運期間戶外、奧運場館內部的廣告控制、奧運選手的肖像使用等方面進行了嚴格的規定。奧組委市場開發部副部長陳鋒表示，處理隱性市場案件不排除走法律途徑和通過媒體抨擊。

In this cartoon published in local media, a man with a board reading "BOCOG" uses a broom to sweep away two businessmen who hold up boards advertising their products not officially associated with the Olympics. [Beijing Business Today]

Companies here will be prevented from engaging in "ambush marketing" ahead of and during the Beijing Olympics, in a bid to protect the rights of official sponsors, a spokesman for the Games' organizing committee said Tuesday.

Chen Feng, deputy director of the marketing department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), said at a press meeting that a range of measures will be introduced to prevent the illegal practice.

"Ambush marketing refers to the attempts by firms that are not official Olympic sponsors to associate their products with the event so they can capitalize on the connection without paying for the right to do so," Chen said.

BOCOG and the China Advertising Association jointly issued an official anti-ambush advertising proposal yesterday, calling for "lawful, professional and ethical" practices by advertising practitioners to protect the rights of Olympic sponsors and the holders of intellectual property rights relating to the Games.

"Some businesses intentionally commit ambush marketing, while many others, out of enthusiasm for the Games, unintentionally violate the rules because of a lack of knowledge of Olympic-related IPR rules," Chen said.

From July 11 to Sept 17, all prominent advertising sites in Beijing - including those at the airport, railway stations, main streets and areas around Olympic venues - will be controlled and priority will be given to official Olympic sponsors, he said.

Companies will be monitored for illegal advertising or using Olympic symbols without authorization and violators will be punished, he said.

Individuals will also be watched for possible ambush advertising practices, which are banned by the rules printed on all Games tickets.

For example, if a row of spectators is found to be wearing the same logo on their clothes at a Beijing Olympic venue, they will be asked to conceal the brand names.

Similarly, people will not be allowed to take drinks into venues and once inside will be able to buy only Coca-Cola, the global partner of the International Olympic Committee.

Yang Hongfeng, deputy secretary-general of the China Advertising Association, yesterday urged the country's 170,000 advertising agencies and their 1.1 million employees to respect the new Olympic marketing rules and guard against ambush marketing.

Under the new ruling, from Aug 1-27, all advertisements featuring participants in the Beijing Olympics - including athletes, coaches and officials - will be suspended.

Also, television stations will be prohibited from using unofficial sponsors for Olympic-related programs, he said.

（China Daily）

Vocabulary:

ambush marketing：隱性市場，隱性市場也叫隱性營銷。有一些單位不是奧運合作伙伴、不是奧運贊助商，也要千方百計地和奧運扯上關系，這些企業研究了《奧林匹克標志保護條例》，按照《條例》規定，未經許可，不能把奧運標志用于商業活動，他們就假借公益宣傳的名義復制使用奧運標志。最典型的是把奧運標志單獨設置，孤立地看他們的宣傳材料確實沒有商業信息，不違反《條例》規定。但是緊挨著奧運標志宣傳板的，就是自己的商業廣告或企業信息，容易讓公眾產生誤解，以為他們也是奧運合作伙伴，這就是典型的隱性市場。

（英語點津Celene編輯）