Comments on: Never advertise during the Olympics

By: Lance Wiggs

Lance Wiggs — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:43:09 +0000

Mike
We need sponsors for sure – the cost of broadcasting rights for the games is certainly prohibitive. I’m not saying we should not have core sponsors, but I do believe that those sponsors can be a lot more clever about their advertising.

My theses is that they should collectively pay more per ad, but show a lot less of them. This means more people will watch the games, the ads don’t get over exposed and we end up liking the brands that “brought (or bought) us the Olympics” rather than learning to despise them.

Meanwhile BHP Billiton is a big sponsor – but they are not plastering their advertisements everywhere, but they are placing them quietly where it matters, and are using the sponsorship as a vehicle to build relationships between the company and it’s biggest customers in China.

By: Mike Pethig

Mike Pethig — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:52:15 +0000

I appreciate the execution of some of the TVCs used during the Olympics this year could do with some variation, but if we don’t have core sponsors, who’s going to pay for the broadcast?

By: Lance Wiggs

Lance Wiggs — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:48:33 +0000

goosmurf - awesome - how to get NBC's excellent streaming coverage in Australia. Theoretically. I've heard that Microsoft's Silverlight is not mac compatible, but it seems that a late beta release means yes. Whoa - hang on, you can watch NBC using a mac.

By: Lance Wiggs

Lance Wiggs — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:40:12 +0000

1979SF – Yes, but I mean overlay ads that don’t cover up anything vital – e.g. the ones where the screen showing the sport squeezes in slightly and the banner fits at the bottom, or watermark type ads. Done well and there is no ad time to fast forward through. Done badly, as you say, and you’ll just get mad at the broadcaster and advertiser, and stop watching the sport.

I like the “this commercial free segment bought to you by…” tag line – that’s something that makes everybody feel good about the sponsor.

By: 1979semifinalist

1979semifinalist — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:43:00 +0000

Did you actually suggest overlay ads here?! I want as few commercials and as few breaks as possible too, but I am shocked to see anyone suggesting overlay ads! These are the bane of our (television) existence. They make it impossible to fast forward through ad time, and they also often (especially in the case of something like the olympics) block what is happening on the screen. This is a terrible idea.

The best idea I think (of all the terrible options we have open to us), is letting multiple huge corporations sponser the Olympics in part, let them put their name on everything (still annoying) like Omega obviously has done with this olympics and have fewer ads, with a note like “this ‘commercial free’ portion of the 2008 Bejing Olympics is brought to you by….”.

Obviously one company can’t carry the whole load,but maybe if we broke it up in sections it could go down a little easier.

By: goosmurf

goosmurf — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:50:18 +0000

I wholeheartedly agree. I think the one thing that speaks to everyone (broadcasters and advertisers alike) is a drop in eyeballs. So maybe you might consider an alternative - online streaming.

By: Natalie Ferguson

Natalie Ferguson — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:18:02 +0000

I LOVE the Olympics. I thought I was over them right up until they day they started. Now I’m glued to the TV and I generally never turn it on.

I think I am experiencing that whole tv mind numbing thing.

I concur on the ads though. Even IF I was planning on buying a gas guzzler, I wont now. Even IF I enjoyed Mc Donalds, the fact they are the Official restaurant of the olympic games just makes me snigger. And Westpac, you cannot claim to be the main supporter if you are simply asking your customers to contribute their money.

OK, I watch too much Olympics, but my competitive streak/patriotism has really come out, and I sit there screaming at the TV whenever we’re involved. Weird. Maybe it is the tooth drugs after all.