Paddy Power overturns LOCOG poster ban
Billboard removal fight trends on Twitter with Irish bookmaker calling the result a "victory for common sense".
The organisers of the London Olympic Games have been forced to admit they were wrong to remove a number of Paddy Power billboards just “moments” before the Irish bookmaker was due to take the case to the High Court today, the operator has announced.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and billboard advertising company JCDecaux originally removed the posters (pictured) yesterday evening. The billboards were located around or close to the Olympic City proclaiming Paddy Power was the “Official sponsor of the largest athletics event in London this year, an egg and spoon race in London, a small Burgundy village in France.
Following on from its slogan “we hear you”, Paddy Power then immediately released a statement this morning saying it would “take this fight to the High Court in the interest of our customers and of common sense”.
“We pride ourselves on listening to our customers and what we’ve heard loud and clear is that LOCOG have got their priorities upside-down. It’s a pity they didn’t put the same energy into the ticketing and security arrangements for the Games that they put into protecting their sponsorship revenue streams.”
However, in “a gold medal winning U-turn”, according to a statement released by Paddy Power this afternoon, LOCOG reversed its position with the Irish operator proudly stating “Our ads are staying put”.
LOCOG’s reversal was communicated by its law firm Freshfields to Paddy’s Charles Russell legal team that was set to enter the High Court in London later today in order to seek a court order against the Olympic organisers.
“Over the past 24 hours, tens of thousands of Paddy Power fans turned to social media to show their support for the ad campaign and to vent their anger at LOCOG’s decision, resulting in the bookmaker trending on Twitter in the UK earlier today,” the bookmaker said this afternoon.
The Games organisers have sent out and briefed corporate companies on the terms they can and cannot use around the event that starts with the opening ceremony this Friday until the middle of August. The request follows similar moves to ban adverts seen to have breached advertising guidelines.
In yet another successful PR stunt Paddy Power said it would seek to recoup its legal costs from LOCOG and if successful, donate the full amount to grassroots sports initiatives across the UK.
A spokesperson from Paddy Power said: “This is a victory for common sense and for each and every one of our customers and fans who supported us along the way. The athletes of London, France will be breathing a collective sigh of relief this afternoon. May the Games begin!”
“Our ads, at London train stations advertise a sports event due to be held in London, France on August 1,” the statement concluded.