LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - American rapper Dr. Dre has
hip-hopped over strict Olympic marketing rules by giving his
high-end headphones to athletes, with officials on Friday ruling
this did not breach guidelines.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) forbids athletes
from taking part in advertising for anyone except the 11
international companies that pay around $100 million each for
four years of global rights to sponsor the Olympics.
The rules are designed to prevent "ambush marketing", or
non-sponsors getting free publicity on the back of the Games.
Officials became suspicious as an increasing number of
athletes from Britain, China and other nations, appeared at
events sporting Beats by Dr. Dre in their national colours.
A spokeswoman from the trendy private members' club,
Shoreditch House, near the Olympic Park in east London,
confirmed the Beats brand had set up a collection point there
for invited athletes.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said officials were aware of Dr.
Dre's offer to athletes from about 20 nations but stressed it
was up to each national Olympic team to ensure athletes
protected the sponsors.
"We have to take a commonsense approach," Adams said. "There
is a difference between someone using equipment with a logo and
someone promoting the brand."
Marketing experts said the tactics used by Dr. Dre raised
questions about the rigidity of the IOC rules which have come
under attack from athletes at London angered they cannot show
support for the companies that back them out of Olympics.
"The IOC cannot control everything," said Rupert Pratt,
managing director at sponsorship agency Generate.
"You are going to have athletes wearing the brands of
companies that sponsor their national teams or themselves for
the 3.5 years out of the Olympics. The IOC has got to relax."
CELEBRITY MODELS
Targeting Olympic athletes is in line with the marketing
strategies used since the Beats headphones were pioneered in
2006 by Dr. Dre in partnership with music producer and
entrepreneur, Jimmy Iovine, of Interscope/Geffen/A&M Records.
Their joint company, Beats Electronics, ensured celebrities
such as Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber and sports names such as
LeBron James were spotted wearing the large headphones with the
trademark "b" and the headphones often appear in music videos.
Dr. Dre, born Andre Young, knows the celebrity game well. He
found fame with the gangsta rap group N.W.A. in the 1980s and
went on to produce albums and oversee the careers of many
rappers, including Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent and Game.
These celebrity endorsements helped spark a craze for the
high performance and high price headphones, even in a sluggish
economy.
Beats captured 53 percent of the $1 billion headphone market
in 2011, according to market researcher NPD Group.
Beats sell for 135-340 pounds ($210-530) in the Westfield
shopping centre next to the Olympic Park.
Athletes have used headphones and earphones ever since the
advent of the Sony Walkman back in the late 1970s.
Sports psychologists say blocking out distractions can help
athletes focus and get into "the zone" while listening to the
right kind of music before a big race can also help psyche
athletes up to go for gold.
A host of athletes have arrived at their events in London
sporting Beats, including British diver Tom Daley and Chinese
gold medallist swimmer Sun Yang.
British footballer Jack Butland tweeted: "Loving my new GB
Beats by Dre #TeamGB #Beats."
This prompted a warning to British athletes.
"We have reminded them of the importance of protecting our
sponsors," a spokesman for the British Olympic Committee said.
The one official sponsor that makes headphones, Panasonic,
had no comment to make on the Beats marketing campaign.
No one was available at Beats Electronics to comment on the
marketing strategy at the Olympics.
The Dr Dre campaign emerged as dozens of athletes launched a
Twitter protest against the IOC's Rule 40, which forbids
competitors from mentioning their own sponsors during an
Olympics and can lead to disqualification if breached.
U.S. sprinter Manteo Mitchell summed up the view of many
Olympians when he tweeted: "I am PROUD to represent my country
... But at the end of the day ... THIS IS MY JOB!!!!"
(Additional reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Alison
Williams)