News – Lounges in Washington DC

Tags: Dr. Dre | Olympics

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 colors.

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.”

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.

A host of athletes have arrived at their events in London sporting Beats, including British diver Tom Daley and Chinese gold medalist 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. (EbenGregory)