[Mb-civic] IOC Furious over Bush Ads

[Michael Butler]

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    IOC Furious over Bush Ads
    By Erskine McCullough
    News 24.com

     Wednesday 25 August 2004

     Athens - Top International Olympic Committee officials are furious at
what they see as US President George Bush's hijacking of the Olympic name
for his re-election campaign.

     IOC marketing head Gerhard Heiberg tried to play down the controversy
on Wednesday, saying simply that they would like the ads running on American
television to stop.

     "We are following what is happening and hope the campaign will stop,"
said Heiberg.

     "The United States Olympic Committee is dealing with the matter. We own
the rights to the Olympic name and no one has asked our permission," he
added.

     But privately the IOC is seething.

     The ads use words and images to invoke the Athens Games.

     One says "This Olympics ... there will be two more free nations" in a
clear reference to Afghanistan and Iraq.

     The ads air on MSNBC, CNBC and other NBC cable networks during their
Olympic programming.

     Heiberg said that having seen the ad, "We would like to see it changed
a little."

     Other officials are less reticent.

     "The arrogance of the US administration is quite amazing. To hijack the
Olympics name ... it is difficult to put it into words," said one senior IOC
member.

     There was further anger here when there were suggestions that President
Bush would come to the Olympics if Iraq had won their semi-final soccer
match against Paraguay on Tuesday.

     It was seen by many IOC members as another move by the US president to
exploit the Olympics in his campaign against his Democratic rival John
Kerry.

     Heiberg admitted he was uncomfortable at the Olympic brand being used
by politicians.

     "This is not good. We do not want this to happen. We are politically
neutral," said Heiberg.

     On Tuesday the controversial British political party the UK
Independence Party, hijacked the IOC rings when they unfurled a banner in
London carrying the Paris 2012 logo carrying the rings and vowed their
support for the French bid.

     A spokesman for the party said that they were backing Paris because
they did not want London taxpayers to pay for hosting the Games.

     Paris, London, New York, Madrid and Moscow are all vying for the 2012
Games.

     The decision will be taken at the IOC Session in Singapore next July.

     The IOC has a special team of commercial investigators to stop anyone
worldwide using the famous five rings - one of the most recognised symbols
in the world.

     Recently a chain store in Britain was stopped from selling polo shirts
with the word Olympics on it.

  

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