Oddbins' anti-Locog stunt offers discount for wearing Nike trainers

By Daniel Farey-Jones, marketingmagazine.co.uk, Tuesday, 24 July 2012 04:09PM

The boss of Oddbins has attacked the "asinine rules" on mentioning the Olympics in marketing and has introduced a 30% discount for customers who wear or display a total of eight items from non-sponsor brands, including Nike and Pepsi.

Ayo Akintola, the managing director of the off-licence chain, has come up with the idea for the three-week discount as a "marketing counter-strike in defiance of the labyrinthine restrictions placed on businesses by the Olympics’ legion of brand guardians".

To qualify, customers need to visit one of Oddbins 35 branches wearing Nike trainers and have in their pocket a set of Vauxhall car keys, an RBS MasterCard, an iPhone, a bill from British Gas and a receipt for a Pepsi bought at KFC.

The discount will be accompanied by window displays highlighting the message that the chain is prevented from referring to the Games in its marketing while managing to push wine offers.

One ad reads: "We're not allowed to tell you which team we're supporting … so we'll tell you about this Aussie champion instead. Jansz Brut NV £15."

Another reads: "We can't mention the event. We can’t mention the city. We can’t even mention the year. At least they can’t stop us telling you about this: Rococco Rose £17."

Akintola said: "The London Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the whole of the UK’s business community to come together to support our fantastic athletes and celebrate an awe-inspiring festival of sport.

"But thanks to Locog (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games), any business without the tens of millions of pounds required to join the cabal of multinational brand partners for the Games are reduced to the status of beggars on the gilded streets of the Olympic movement."

Oddbins claimed: "The Locog rules stipulate that no company should mention the Olympic Games, the city in which they are being held or even the year they are being staged."

Locog has yet to respond to a request for comment on the accuracy of the claim.

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This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk