Ad industry awaits APCON on ambush marketing claims against NB

The advertising industry is still waiting for the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria’s (APCON) position on the accusation of ambush marketing relating to the ongoing World Cup leveled against Nigerian Breweries (NB) plc.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), the country’s football governing body, last week raised dust about what it tagged “ambush marketing” by Nigerian Breweries.

Ambush marketing is when a company launches a variety of marketing communication activities during major events to lure consumers into thinking the company is the actual sponsor of the events.

Some industry watchers who spoke to BusinessDay say they are waiting to see how APCON would resolve the issue. Others, however, say they don’t see anything wrong in what NB has done.

“What Nigerian Breweries did was to explore a window that was available without running foul of any law,” an industry expert who does not want his name in print said.

An official of APCON had earlier told BusinessDay that the council would hold meetings with the affected parties to look into the issue. But another source said the apex advertising organisation had last weekend held a meeting with officials of Nigerian Breweries, saying the subsequent alteration in the controversial advert, ‘Shine on Nigeria’, could be a result of the meeting with APCON officials.

In the said alteration to the advert, Nigerian Breweries had removed Star emblems which, the source said, were not in conformity with the advertising code as regards sports sponsorship and alcoholic beverages.

But another source said he did not see anything wrong with the advertisement, adding, “Such advertisement can run at any time. I believe the controversy is that it is running during the World Cup partly sponsored by other brands.”

Yet another source said the alteration in the advert was besides what the NFF complained about against Nigerian Breweries. He wondered why APCON did not address the issue, saying perhaps the body strongly believed Nigerian Breweries was not wrong.

Kufre Ekanem, Nigerian Breweries communication adviser, could not be reached on phone. But the company, according to a report, is wondering why eyebrows were being raised about its communication materials, which it said were approved by the APCON.

In various reports, the NFF had expressed its disappointment and warned corporate organisations against ambush marketing around the Super Eagles who are participating in the ongoing 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil.

The football governing body, according to the reports, particularly wrote to Nigerian Breweries claiming that the brewing giant had initiated communication materials across Nigeria featuring ex-players of the Super Eagles, giving the impression that it was associated with, or was an official sponsor of, the team.
“We have equally noticed other outdoor materials with unnamed faces in green and white jerseys, all in an attempt to associate with the Super Eagles’ participation at the forthcoming FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil and gain undue advantage,” said the letter supposedly signed by Musa Amadu, NFF general secretary.

“We declare that this is nothing but blatant market ambushing and this is not only uncalled for, but highly unprofessional,” the letter said.
In the reports monitored online, the NFF went ahead to give Nigerian Breweries seven days within which to remove the said materials on billboards and other outdoor creatives, “failing which the NFF and Guinness will take legal action against NB plc and seek appropriate damages”.