Are Some 2010 Olympic Athletes And Sponsors Guilty Of Questionable Hidden Persuasion?

*As a long time alpine ski/snowboarding family, dad, and believer in brand marketing, there are some questions I have for the ski /snowboarding gear industry.  My beef is regarding over all brand honesty this year (Truth in advertising) and photo ops showing name brand equipment by winning athletes.  As I watched every night, with Home theater HD joy, the Vancouver Winter Olympics had a few questionable use of logos on shifting equipment models and overreaching shots in the winner's circles.

To be sure,  I looked up at my walls to see my own OCD personality displayed in my recreation room decorated with "real" ski/snowboarder race gear circa 1996.  It’s not a “sports bar”, but my own home version of one with a winter sports tilt from "back in  the day".  I noticed something odd  at what I was seeing on my TV vs my "wall" and  now have a few questions for today's advertisers and athletes using product placement photo ops after a race.:

• In the Women's Downhill, did Lindsey Vonn race on “long traditional, old,  dated Head men’s racer downhill ski’s and at the bottom  show "new" short wide Head recreational level skis for the cameras? (Hence a brisk discussion at my house with hard core skiers who were upset at this illusion and deceitful promotion… see photos).

• Allegedly, did some of the top skiers spray paint their long time racing ski boots with the current and future colors as they did not want to use the newer equipment? (Look closely at the paint chipped boot photos).

• At what point are sponsorships going to be called on  regarding dishonest brand  and model manipulations? How many times are after race photo ops misleading consumers to believe the winner actually used that equipment shown?

• Check out the entire photo’s of this year’s games and ask youself; did Ad agencies and sponsors go over the line this year advertising their brands? Could it be getting a little tacky and intellectually deceitful? Just a little bit? Is it getting worse?

• On a personal note, can NBC ever put their logo on the bottom right of the screen like most TV stations? It is very distracting  on the upper right and HDTV really sharpens how annoying this positioning is…. JMHO.

• Gotta Love Apolo Ohno’s values and ethics, he is “old school”. No goggle glass sponsorship or preening for the cameras with brands…. He is the brand! I would look at buying what he advertises and represents, based on his “story”. The really great ones always are the brand!

All in all, I am a very big fan of the Winter Olympics, all the athletes, America’s team, and the NBC coverage this year. My rant is minor, but in hopes that this blog brings some  attention to this exagerating practice to get more truthful in the future of product placements.  Bravo to all the athletes, we are all very proud of you and what you did in Vancouver! Ad agencies and agents, please don't cheapen our national treasure of current olympic youngsters, they deserve better!

*Photo by Doug Mills/NY Times