The IOC’s Rule 40 has barred any brand or athlete that’s not an official sponsor from so much as mentioning the events. The marathon-sized list of restrictions ranges from forbidden words or phrases to untweetable hashtags or GIFs. But that hasn’t stopped a few clever brands from finding ways to leverage their ties to the global competition on social media and elsewhere.
Even though these non-official advertisers still have to abide by guidelines and avoid trademarks and words, the opportunity has led to some notable activations. Here’s how some brands are taking advantage of the change in rules.
Launching an original series around your athletes
GoPro is one of the companies to have applied for the Rule 40 exemption, allowing them to run ads featuring athletes with whom they have signed sponsorship deals. Two short-form digital video series—”Finding Missy” and “Two Roads“—will follow nine athletes and their journeys prior to and during the event. The challenge for GoPro? Pushing the envelope while staying on the right side of the IOC’s rules for non-official sponsors. To do that, they have captured the essence of what it’s like to compete at the highest level in sport.
Giving fans the full experience from just outside the venue bubble
Under Armour has sponsorship deals with around 250 athletes at the event that it won’t be able to name, but it does plan on having a presence in Brazil this summer. A series of Under Armour outdoor gyms installed along the city’s beaches will let attendees and locals alike tap into the athletic energy from the competition. Workouts will be held daily for those who want to get lean or just contemplate what it means to be the best.
Create a cover-up
Sports apparel brands have long provided clothing to athletes to gain an unofficial presence. Taking this guerrilla tactic to a new level is the #OwnYourSkin movement, which is pushing to allow athletes to apply temporary tattoos of brand logos to themselves. And some have done that during events leading up to qualifiers for this summer. But during restricted events, they cover the temptats with tape. That cover-up might just spark a conversation for the unofficial sponsoring brand.
Check out more customer experience reviews
Illustrations by Eran Mendel
