Revolver

Ambush marketing or guerilla pr – what’s all the fuss about?

Well, quite a lot of fuss in fact. I’m referring to the Dutch brewery’s World Cup stunt that has led to arrests, threats of legal action and the loss of an ITV pundit’s job.

When 36 young women wearing orange mini-dresses associated with the Dutch brewers Bavaria entered the Soccer City stadium in South Africa for teh Netherlands/Denmark match, the cameras, predictably turned towards them en mass, captured shots that would grab attention around the world.

However, the reaction of those in charge was somewhat different. All of the ladies were ejected from the venue and two arrested on charges of organising “unlawful commercial activities.” Meanwhile, legal action is planned against the brewery.

Coupled with this, ex-Jamaica and Wimbledon player Robbie Earle was dropped as an ITV pundit after claims some of the orange clad ladies had entered the stadium using tickets intended for his family and friends.

This may sound trivial but the World Cup’s authorised beer, Budweiser, has paid millions for the privilege of exclusive representation during the competition.

It’s no surprise that sponsorship is big business, both for the brands and the sporting governing bodies - thus also meaning that “ambush marketing” or “guerilla PR” have themselves become a huge growth industry.

But if you’re planning on any sneaky tactics for the 2010 London Olympics think again, or at least think shrewdly, as a result of strict legislation passed by Parliament ahead of the games.

Nevertheless, it is still worth noting the potential huge exposure for anyone who manages to outwit them. So the answer, get a great digital pr strategy in place!