Brand Police Use Duct Tape at 2014 Olympics

Brand police are in full force at the 2014 Olympics with duct tape. They are using opaque tape to cover up logos of non-endorsed brands in compliance with Olympics’ Rule 40, which prevents non-official Olympic sponsors from advertising or marketing their products or services before and during the Olympics.

Associated Press staffer Mark Davies tweeted an image of a journalist having his computer logo taped over by an Olympics staffer. The laptop clearly wasn’t of the Samsung brand, which is an official sponsor of the Olympics. “Olympic workers are swooping on reporters sitting in competition venues with Apple laptops, and hastily taping over the iconic logo with duct tape,” he wrote. “In fact, any laptop that isn’t made by official sponsor Samsung is likely to face an Olympic cover-up.” Davies also witnessed a Mercedes with its logo covered up since the official automotive sponsor of the games is Volkswagen.

Ambush marketing is a big concern for the International Olympics Committee. Police (sans duct tape) and roaming the streets to stop counterfeiters from selling fake goods and making sure fans’ social posts aren’t commercial.

B.C’s Better Business Bureau says a recent search came up with nearly 6,000 Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic items for sale on eBay that include some obvious frauds.

Items for sale included sweaters, jackets, mitts and a Sochi 2014 Olympic torch selling for $7,000. The BBB says many of these items were authentic, but some were not.

It says it’s difficult to guarantee that items online from third parties are actually official, so is issuing a warning about scammers trying to cash in on Olympic fever.

How come no one came up with Olympic-branded duct tape?

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2 thoughts on “Brand Police Use Duct Tape at 2014 Olympics

  1. LUCAS YORK says:

    I think that’s perfectly fine, to tape over brands that aren’t associated with the Olympics. I know I would do so. As for people selling memorabilia online, that sort of thing happens all the time for major events.

    I do not like when people lie about the product to get a sale though, that’s despicable.

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