Should cold medicines sponsor Olympic athletes?

That's the question I asked myself when I saw this ad on TV (or was it preroll? Hard to remember anymore):



 I was immediately reminded of the tragedy of Andreea Răducan, the young Romanian gymnast who had her gold medal taken away in the 2000 Australian Summer Games when she tested positive for pseudoephedrene—a common decongestant which was also a banned stimulant. The story was that her team doctor had given her medication for sniffles. The drug was not banned by the international gymnastics federation, but is on the IOC "doping" list.

According to Wikipedia, pseudoephedrine was removed the banned substances IOC list in 2004, when the IOC adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list. Although WADA initially only monitored pseudoephedrine, it was put back on the banned list for WADA/IOC in 2010.

Fast Forward to Sochi in 2014, and pseudoephedrine is back in Olympic news:

Sweden’s star center Nicklas Backstrom wasn’t allowed to play in the gold medal game against Canada after testing positive for a banned substance. 

An NHLPA source told Yahoo Sports that Backstrom violated anti-doping rules after tests showed an elevated level of pseudoephedrine, a banned substance by the IOC and the World Anti-Doping Federation. 

Backstrom has taken Zyrtec-D for several years for allergies. He said he takes on pill per day.

Zyrtec-D contains cetirizine and pseudoephedrine. And Sweden lost the Gold Medal game to Canada, 3-0.

I can't believe that national team doctors are not aware of a banned substance that is in many, many, cold remedies that can easily remove a star athlete from the games. I find it even more odd that a cold medication is promoting its use by athletes.

But there's a loophole here. Because pseudoephedrine is the main ingredient used to synthethize street meth, the United States government restricts its sales. Vick's was forced to replace the pseudoephedrine with phenylephrine. Everywhere else, including Canada, the over-the-counter cold meds still have the (in my experience, much more effective) pseudoephedrine. Phenylephrine is also a stimulant, but it is only "monitored" by WADA.

So these American ads show an athlete taking a brand medication where everywhere except his home country would disqualify him from the Olympics (if, for example, he picked some up while competing abroad). Is that really a good idea, Vicks? Is it?

Ted Ligety earned Gold in the men’s giant slalom at Sochi. Presumably, he didn't take the wrong medicine.

Molson Canadian scores Canada's favourite viral image of the moment #anythingforhockey

Via Molson

Go Canada!  #OurTeamCan

Reimagining #Sochi sponsor ads with pride

Scottish ad industry blog The Drum is partnering with Chip Shop Awards and One Minute Briefs to challenge creatives to "show how Winter Olympics sponsors could promote the LGBT message in Russia."

One Minute Briefs is featuring hundreds of entries on Twitter. Some are mere sketches, and others are rife with gay stereotypes and crude sexual imagery. The ones I'm featuring here are among my favourites out of the 50 shortlisted by The Drum.

You can vote for your picks, today, right here.

Related posts:

Google goes gay for #Sochi
After Barilla, pro-gay pasta parody ads are cropping up all over the place

Google goes gay for #Sochi

It was a busy day, so I only just noticed this now:

Text reads:

"The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play." –Olympic Charter

Way to be less evil, Google!

"Even a white Christmas should have a rainbow"

This 1978 JELL-O ad from Found in Mom's Basement is a timely reminder of the way symbolism changes over the years. When I was my son's age, rainbow imagery was used as a badge of being hip. You'd see rainbows on jeans pockets, posters, and ads.

However, the same year this ad was published,  San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker first unfurled the rainbow pride flag for the gay liberation movement.Twenty-two years later, the rainbow symbol was so completely associated with LGBT pride that the University of Hawaii reacted in a homophobic manner by changing its football team's name from "Rainbow Warriors" to just "Warriors".

Today, it's hard to remember the rainbow standing for anything else. But there was a time when this:

..would lead to no jokes whatsoever.

Today's Inspiration — Lost Olympic Sports

Nowness featured this delightful collection of short films by photographer and filmmaker KT Auleta:

Lost Olympic Sports on Nowness.com.

She shot all three shorts on Super 8 — the medium of choice for yesterday's cheesy family movies and hirsute stag films.

Ms Auleta told Nowness, "With the grain of Super 8, there is a real visual depth, a sexiness... I wanted a carefree feel from the models, allowing playfulness and the interplay between the sexes to shine through."

Great stuff.

There's also a behind-the-scenes video on Facebook.

Olympic media coverage channels "unnecessary censorship meme

Via AOTW

Remember that great campaign by Reporters Without Borders, called "Censorship tells the wrong story"?

It's one expression of a meme, in which innocent images are made "dirty" by the power of imagination.

Via Ebaum's World

I think you get the point.

Anyway, Buzzfeed's Jack Moore has noted and collected some hilarious examples of accidental "unnecessary censorship" of male Olympic swimmers at the 2012 London Games:

Golly!

See the rest at the original post.

"Watch the games here" poster is an exercise in brand fascism

First, the horribly-designed poster:

What a logo pizza!

This poster is provided for pubs and restaurants in the UK that might want to promote the fact that they are screening the BBC feed of Olympic Games inside.

Want to use it? Get your reading glasses on....

London 2012 Brand Protection: Screening the Games 

LOCOG is aware that pubs, bars, hotel lounges and social or sports clubs may wish to show the Games live on TV screens in their establishments for their customers (subject to licensing laws). 

We see this as one of the ways in which everyone across the nation will be joining in the fun and excitement of the Games, and so long as a few simple rules are followed there is no reason why this should not be part of the way the United Kingdom enjoys the Games, much as it has been for other major sporting events. 

However, it is essential that the unique and exclusive rights of our official Games sponsors, who are our Partners in putting on the Games, are protected. The Partners contribute very significantly to the staging of the Games through the provision of funding, goods and services. Without them the Games could not happen. 

So our rules for screening the Games are designed to ensure that the way in which a business refers to the fact that it is showing the Games does not create an association with the Games. The ability to associate with the Games is a very valuable right which belongs to our Partners, and it cannot be exploited for free. 

The rules allow businesses to download two posters we have created (one for the Olympic Games and one for the Paralympic Games). We are licensing the use of these posters, which are the only ways in which businesses may advertise the screenings, for use by pubs, bars, hotel lounges and social and sports clubs which want to show the Games in their establishments, Please click here to view the terms of use and download the posters. 

These posters are not for use by restaurants (and by that we mean establishments primarily serving food) and are not available to establishments which are part of a chain/franchise business which has multiple locations identified under the same name/brand. 

Our approach to screening the Games reflects the key principles we apply to carrying out our obligations to protect the rights of our Partners. Although we have no desire to dampen public enthusiasm and we always seek to act in a proportionate and sensible way, we are tough on commercial abuse and will not hesitate to take action to address ambush and infringement. Our previous guidance has consistently followed these principles. We take this opportunity to point out that of course none of our guidance should be read as condoning the use of Games references (whether factual or not) in advertising by restaurants or other businesses in sectors directly competitive to our partners, to promote unauthorised association with the Games for commercial advantage. 

Terms of download 

By downloading the London 2012 “Watch the Games Here” posters for the Olympic Games and/or the Paralympic Games for pubs, bars hotel lounges and social and sports clubs (the “Posters”), you agree on behalf of the business or entity you represent (together “You”), to the following terms: 

1. The Posters may only be used as follows:a. Posters may only be used in public houses, bars, hotel lounges and social or sports clubs where it is usual for events to be shown on television for their clientele, whose primary purpose is not as a restaurant, and which are not part of a chain or franchise business which has multiple locations identified under the same name/brand. By downloading a Poster You confirm that Your establishment meets these criteria;b. Posters may only be displayed in establishments in which the London 2012 Olympic Games and/or the Paralympic Games (together the “Games”) will be shown for free public screenings and Posters must we removed from display within 24 hours of the last screening of the Games;c. Only one Poster may be displayed per public entrance to the premises at any one time;d. The Posters may be printed in colour or black and white but must not be edited, cropped, or amended in any way, nor may you superimpose or place any other messages or branding etc on top of, surrounding or immediately adjacent to the Posters when they are displayed, save that, if you will only be screening the Games at certain times, you may place a notice adjacent to the Poster which solely states the dates and times You are showing the Games;e. The maximum size for printing the posters is A3. f. Other than the Posters, we do not authorise promotion of the viewing of the Games at your establishment in any other advertising, including TV, newspaper, print, websites or other media. 

2. The license granted to You by LOCOG to use the digital copy of the Posters is limited to such use and copying as is required for you to be able to display the Posters in accordance with point 1 above. You may not provide copies of the Poster (whether digitally or in hardcopy) to anyone else or authorise others to copy or reproduce the Posters. You agree not to sell the Poster. 

3. You agree to comply with any conditions of public broadcasts imposed by the broadcasters of the Games (BBC and Channel 4 respectively) and in particular you shall not charge a fee for people to view the Games or enter areas of your premises where the Games are being screened, nor shall You impose any other condition of entry (other than restrictions required by law, e.g., relating to age, and for the avoidance of doubt, taking reservations will not be deemed to be a condition of entry unless a fee or deposit is taken to secure the reservation). 

4. You acknowledge that the Games are made possible by the investment of sponsors and that the protection of the intellectual property of the Games is therefore vital. As such, You agree to respect the laws which protect the London 2012, Olympic and Paralympic brands and shall not participate in or facilitate any ambush marketing of the London 2012 Games. You agree that ambush marketing shall include the implementation of any marketing or promotional campaign for You, Your premises or any other brand in connection with Your screenings of the Games.  

5. LOCOG may withdraw this licence at any time upon notification to You, whereupon You agree to cease all use of the Poster.

Are you feeling the Olympic Spirit™yet?

 Thanks to Neil for the tip.

McDonald's goes mod for London 2012

One of my favourite industry blogs, Burger Business, has a feature on McDonald's new uniforms for its restaurants at the London Olympic Games.

Created by British designer Wayne Hemingway, co-founder of the Red or Dead label, the uniforms’ color palette that includes “gherkin green” polo shirts for women and “mustard yellow” shirts for men. 

Managers get black pants and white shirts; customer care assistants wear checked shirts with dark green pants or skirt. Skinny ties for male managers are “just a little bit of ‘Mad Men,’” Hemingway told The Telegraph. “We wanted classic design. A narrow tie will always be fashionable. There is a very subtle hint to the mod look, which has never gone out of fashion. Fred Perry has never gone out of fashion,” Hemingway said. “That’s why we’ve gone for a polo shirt with a bit of a trim.”

...

The look includes painters caps in place of baseball caps. Hemingway explained it to The Telegraph this way: “We wanted to break away from baseball caps. These are more bakers caps or something you’d find in a pizzeria in Italy. I have a thing about baseball caps: they are a little bit too American, and they are about sport and petrol pump attendants.” 

Mad Men. Mods. Bakers.  Would you like fries chips with that?

What the Falklands, Argentina? #FdAdFriday

Oh, my. Argentina really is poking the bear. (Or rather, the bulldog.)

In this new spot for Argentina's Olympic team, field hockey captain Fernando Zylberberg run through the Falklands, and (according to Yahoo! News) ends his workout "on the island's Great War Memorial, which honours British sailors who died in World War I".

The tagline then claims the islands as "Argentine soil"...

For those of you not born yet 30 years ago, at the time Great Britain and Argentina went to war over the desolate British territorial islands off the southern coast of South America. 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel and three Falkland Islanders died during the conflict, which the Brits won.

Argentina has never given up its claim to the islands, however, and has been making increasingly threatening statements about having another go at them.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague was unimpressed by this attempt to politicize the Olympics:

"Of course in Britain we remain absolutely steadfast in our support for the self determination of the Falkland Islanders and we will always support that," he added.

"It is a rather sad stunt, it won't impress anybody in the world. We are not do going to take any actual action in response to it."

UK to treat ambush marketers like terrorists at London 2012?

"Ambush Marketing" is a popular stunt by underdog brands who hire people to infiltrate public and sporting events, then do something provocative to get attention. One of the most infamous is Golden Palace, who sent a male streaker out on the field during the 2004 Super Bowl broadcast.

Not that I want to see this, mind you.

Some of us find this amusing. Official sponsors who have paid to be upstaged by some naked guy do not. And when it comes to the Olympic Games, with multi-million dollar international sponsorships at stake, the lack of amusement can have an impact on the very fabric of the legal system.

The Dim Dim Girls must be stopped at all costs!

According to The Drum:

Revised legislation has been issued this week stating that exhibitionists baring their flesh for marketing stunts in and around 2012 Olympic venues could face criminal charges and fines of up to £20,000 in the magistrates court.

CEOs, marketing directors and other senior staff of brands appearing in "ambush marketing" in the vicinity of Olympic venues will be presumed guilty unless they can prove their innocence by proving that they had no knowledge of the activity or that they took reasonable steps to prevent it happening.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) noted the risk of human bodies being used for ambush advertising following concerns raised in a recent consultation process. It has promised to "make additional changes to prohibit advertising on the human body". It says the legislation is "reasonable and proportionate", and that the matters a person is required to prove in their defence are "entirely within their knowledge".

Prove your innocence? Are they serious?

Now anyone with a financial or personal reason to cause legal trouble for marketing high-ups can just draw a logo on their bum, whip off their pants, and let the charges fly. London-based advertising lawyer Nick Johnson is quoted: "Exactly how is a CEO, a marketing director or a legal director supposed to prove they had no knowledge at all of an infringing act featuring their brand?"

And what happened to The Man having to prove guilt? Usually these kinds of draconian legislation are enacted to fight terrorists, not to protect brand integrity or sponsorship deals.

via

I'm not defending ambush marketing. It is not playing fair. But this kind of legal pandering to the Olympics and big brands? Bullshit.

F'd Ad Fridays: Team France bringing back the original Olympic uniforms

As an antidote to the chauvinist one-sidedness to that last post, here is nudity done right (IMHO).

It's an online video for Athena, a popular men's underwear brand. It's a fake "making of" for EURO RSCG 360's upcoming Athena campaign for the Olympics, featuring members of Team France in very traditional Olympic uniforms. To make the subjects more comfortable, the entire crew and agency staff are compelled to join in.



See? Playful nudity can be fun for everyone. (And hilarious, when you see the doughy CDs standing beside the Olympians.)

And then there's this line...

Via Ads of The World

Britain: What's so great about it?*

(*With a nod to every Irish, Scottish and Welshman/woman who has ever uttered that phrase.)

In advance of the 2012 London Olympics, The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport has launched a postcard and poster campaign that cranks the nationalism up to WWII-era levels.

This time, however, the propaganda is aimed at the outside world. The campaign was developed by the DCMS on behalf of the Prime Minister, working with colleagues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK Trade & Investment, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, VisitBritain, and the British Council. 

The examples of "greatness" run the gamut from general themes like environment, scenery, research and technology to modern icons such as Wallace & Gromit, Richard Branson,  serial wife-killer Henry VIII and shoe fetishist Nicholas Kirkwood.

Below I've posted all the postcards (ignore the crop marks, they're converted PDFs). What do you think of Great Britain's newfound public patriotism? Is it just what they need, or is that kind of patriotism a little scary these days?

Thanks to Neil H. for the tip.

The decline and fall of art and design, as seen in Olympic advertising through history

The Olympic Games FB page posted this gallery of Olympics posters through history.

Watch as the style transitions from neoclassicism to awesome art nouveau, through homoerotic constructivism, hyper-nationalism, and mid-century minimalism to shit, shitty and shittier.  (Although Atlanta's not bad.)

I took the liberty of adding London 2012, the "XXX Olympiad" that has been described as pornographic Simpsons fanfic:

Let the Games begin...