AMBUSH MARKETING: THE CASE OF OLYMPIC GAMES

Ambush marketing in sports sponsorship constitutes a misleading marketing strategy adopted by companies trying to associate their brands with a particular sporting event or other sports entities, without being part of the latter ofcial sponsorship programs. Ambush marketing rst appeared during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and continued throughout the whole Olympic history, despite legal measures taken by event organizers and ofcial sponsors so as to protect their exclusive rights and trademarks. Although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has introduced various regulations and enforcement mechanisms to deter non-ofcial sponsors from capitalizing on the Games' popularity without contributing to their funding, a series of infamous cases during the Games' historical development prove that ambush marketing is an undeniable reality of the Olympic movement throughout the years.