IT’S AN AMBUSH: The Story of a Potent, Opportunistic Advertising Strategy
Tigers. Trapdoor Spiders. Chameleons. All are masters of silent observation who bide their time until they spot the opportune moment to strike. By then it’s too late for their prey. A very similar tactic plays out in the world of marketing. But we’ll stick with animals for just a little bit longer…
The Attack
The zone-tailed hawk is a natural predator of the turkey vulture, but it also bears a strong resemblance to it. Instead of attacking, it joins the flock in the sky, coasting along incognito until it suddenly breaks formation and takes a member for its meal.
In a 2012 European championship soccer match, Danish player Nicklas Bendtner celebrated scoring a goal against Portugal by lifting up his shirt to reveal green underwear, branded with the name of Paddy Power, an online gambling brand that hadn’t paid for event sponsorship. Paddy Power denied responsibility, and Bendtner claimed is was just his “lucky” underwear. The soccer association, incensed, delivered a record $125,000 fine, but the message was out. This is the heart of ambush marketing.
In the 2018 meta-study “Ambush Marketing is Dead, Long Live Ambush Marketing,” researchers defined ambush marketing as
“A planned effort by an organization to associate itself indirectly with an event in order to gain at least some of the recognition and benefits that are associated with being an official sponsor”
The definition was expanded further within the study, given ambush marketing employs a semi-predatory approach, often targeting or piggybacking on the work of closely related competitors. Ambush activities were described more broadly as
“A practice whereby a company, often a competitor, intrudes upon public attention surrounding an event, thereby deflecting attention toward themselves and away from [an official] sponsor.”
This axiom is helpful, given that in over 36% of cases, the brands that ambush an event are direct rivals of the event’s sponsor. Check out this Newcastle ad, which essentially turns the neighboring Stella Artois ad into a piece of its advertising.
Nike used ambush tactics to devastating effect when Reebok was selected as the sponsor of the 1992 US Olympic Basketball Team. Despite the huge sum Reebok spent, athletes with Nike deals covered up the Reebok logos on their outfits with US flags while on the awards podium. Nike held its own press conference with athletes after each game, posted a sizable billboard ad over the Olympic park, and screened commercials featuring several stars of the Olympic games, being sure to air them right before Reebok’s. The outcome was asymmetric warfare that made the ’92 Olympics memorable to fans — of Nike.
These sneaky battles aren’t limited to the world of sports. BMW and Audi stared each other down in a series of promotions, while Visa hit American Express with a landslide of ads advising viewers to “leave your Amex at home.” In the 90’s. Budweiser and Miller had series of ambushes, stemming from the fact Budweiser was the official beer of the NFL, while Miller was the official beer of the Super Bowl. Talk about mixed messages. Australian carmaker Holden went especially bold, flying a huge red blimp over sporting events with other sponsors for a full year before they were ultimately banned.
Makings of the Trap
Planning to score some free publicity? Here are a few things you’ll probably want to know before you leap. In ambush marketing, a few key axioms emerge across cases:
- It’s a solo act. Most cases of ambush marketing are based around a single brand, rather than an entire company. Single products have a better chance to make an impression, and have more clear rivals.
- It’s opportunistic. Ambush marketing was found to rarely tie in with broader marketing campaigns. If you think about it, you’re on the competitor’s timeline. It can have amazing results if you get the timing right.
- It’s funny. Ambush marketing was found to perform best when innovation, humor, or celebrity was employed in the launch. This helped with the virality and access central to making a splash.
As for where to take your efforts, data shows that ambush marketing is growing substantially at sporting venues. Displays of ambush marketing in the most prestigious events in golf, racing, and more have emboldened brands to act with higher frequency and in broader ranges of events. When the Olympic Committee began to worry to about excessive commercialization during the LA Games in 1984, they started to clamp down on the number of official sponsors. There were seven ambush marketing attempts that year. By the Sochi Games of 2014, there were 42. As event organizers strive to further limit the number of approved sponsors, expect the brands on the outs to grow more daring and disruptive with their campaigns.
One factor you’re probably wondering about with ambush marketing is legality. Good thinking. Major sporting events often press host countries to expand on their trademark law to add extra financial penalties for unauthorized ambush attempts for the duration of their events, which has had mixed success. Events managers also successfully lobby to ban certain words or phrases being used by non-official sponsors, establish “ad-free” zones around events, and temporarily rename venues that are named for a non-sponsor of their specific event. So tread with caution, ambushers.
Ambush marketing offers a broad array of associative benefits — particularly the ability to cultivate and exhibit new brand attributes and values that consumers may not necessarily already associate with an advertiser. Event hosts and sponsors are starting to see it as a fact of life. So set your traps — just be sure not to get into a game of legal cat-and-mouse that jeopardizes your brand.
