An Amway advertisement features Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang and Jamaica's Asafa Powell.
Advertisements of non-Olympic-sponsor businesses which feature Beijing Olympic athletes, referees or officials may not be printed or aired from August 1 to 27, the Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games (BOCOG) and China Advertising Association (CAA) have announced.
On Tuesday, the CAA released a notification to advertising agencies across the country, saying it will monitor the placement of such ads during the Olympics based on a roster of sponsors provided by the BOCOG. Without the special authorization or approval of the BOCOG, such ads should not be publicized during the upcoming Olympic Games.
An official with the BOCOG said that in accordance with the Olympic regulations the competing athletes and referees are required to sign a contract beforehand and not use their images for commercial purposes without approval from the organizing committee during the Games.
Most of the relevant enterprises have acknowledged the requirement and are now taking action.
An official with the UK cosmetics brand Avon, which signed a contract with China's national diving team for its skincare product series, told Beijing Morning Post that they will withdraw the relevant commercials and are trying to work out an alternative solution to minimize their economic loss.
The direct sales company Amway China features Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang and Jamaica's Asafa Powell in its nutrition product ads.
"We have received a notification from our headquarters in June and have been replacing our billboards. In August, you will not see any Amway advertisements with the images of Beijing Olympic athletes," an official of the company was quoted as saying.
The use of Olympic-hinted keywords such as "2008", "Beijing" and "Torch" in ads also constitutes an infringement, the CAA said. Any individuals and organizations can report or raise complaint over such a case to the association.
