Cindy Klassen may be preparing to go for gold in Vancouver, but Olympic organizers want to stop her from helping MTS Allstream pitch any cellphone, television or Internet packages during the Games.
According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the Winnipeg-based telecommunications company has been told to “blank out” all advertisements related to the record-setting speedskater for the duration of the Winter Games because MTS is not an official sponsor.
However, MTS denies being ordered to “blank out” anything by VANOC.
MTS initially refused an interview request, but according to the Free Press, company spokesman Greg Burch said it will not be introducing any new advertising with Klassen during the Olympics, however neither would it take down what is already up.
“We have no plans to reduce or eliminate any of our current campaigns or support for Cindy and we have no plans to take down the banner on our building,’’ he said. “Our existing campaigns and efforts are within the appropriate guidelines.”
But in a letter sent to the Winnipeg Free Press editor Wednesday, MTS chief executive Pierre Blouin said the company has “always known there would be restrictions around specific uses of Olympic athletes in connection with VANOC’s management of commercial rights around the games. Restrictions like this have been common for years, and as such, MTS’s campaigns involving Cindy have been crafted to ensure they remain within the guidelines set out by VANOC.”
Bill Cooper, VANOC’s director of commercial rights management, said there is a rule in the Olympic charter that limits the commercialization of athlete images during the Olympic window.
“The principle behind it is that during the period of the Games, viewers either in-stadium or watching on TV should be viewing the athletes as competitors and not as commercial salespeople,” he said.
All Olympians, once named to a team, must sign a contract agreeing that their likeness won’t be used for commercial activity during the Games.
Their images can be used, however–if VANOC approves the application–to promote non-commercial endeavours, such as getting kids involved in sports, Cooper said.
