Reuters reports that several of the biggest global Olympic partners are cutting back on Olympic-themed television commercials for the Athens 2004 Summer Games, and instead are using more of their year-round advertising messages during the Games, or investing in broader promotions and events.
Reuters quotes Marian Saltzman, chief strategy officer at Havas agency Euro RSCG as saying, “the Olympics represent the biggest of the macro marketing opportunities, and I think we’re moving into a time where events need to be micro-marketing opportunities”.
One of the Olympic sponsors, McDonalds, used a Mother’s Day commercial in May ahead of its scheduled appearance on the Games.
Although they plan to air seven new television spots during the Games, at least three have no explicit Olympic tie-in.
David Sable, president of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region for WPP Group Pic’s Wunderman told Reuters that in recent years advertisers would build major commercial campaigns around the Olympics. He said, “they would spend in two weeks…what they would spend in a year. You’re beginning to see more people using just good advertising, stuff they would put on all the time”.
Another sponsor Visa has cut the number of Olympic-themed commercials, airing three spots this year compared to five during the 2000 Sydney Games and six at the 1996 Atlanta Games. But Visa says the ads pack a bigger punch.
Kodak is pushing its digital products, including an on-site centre in Athens to download and print digital photographs or send them over the Internet, and a showcase for its health diagnostic imaging equipment.
According to Reuters some advertising experts question the value of an Olympics partnership beyond the biggest global brands, particularly as Greek authorities plan for tight security measure amid fears of a terrorist attack.
Saltzman said, “it’s a very risky investment to me. Then you compound what can be called the shroud of terrorism…if you’re the Olympic sponsor who’s on the ground, on the scene, (if something goes wrong) you will e branded in the minds of all of those millions of global viewers”.
