Well, at Wimbleton last week, I was struck by the shocking
lack of advertising. There weren’t even any visible logos around the
court. The only place I saw a brand name
on the court was on the towel that players used to dab their brows. Fans were not even supposed to wear prominant logos. Very different from your average sporting event.
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ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Dr. King I highly suggest you watch "Emma". It's a great movie and one of my favorites. I've seen it probably 20 times.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I also noticed the stark lack of advertising when I watched Wimbledon via BBC online. There are no rotating logo boards around the court, like at an American basketball game or European soccer match. There was not even a branded "Wimbledon" logo; something like this year's London Olympics 2012 design. The only logo I spotted was the iconic Nike swoosh on the ball girls hat.
But I also believe this lack of advertising is due to the atmosphere of the sport. Wimbledon is like our Kentucky Derby, seated in tradition and usually attended by the upper class. Seats at Wimbledon are a status symbol, where you are bragging about how you can afford the ridiculously priced ticket of a tennis match. The lack in advertising is mostly likely to keep the air of sophistication about the stadium, where loud and tacky ads cheapen the event.
Even if there were large advertisements, what companies would promote themselves? I'm sure McDonald's is not trying to target the British elite, while luxury companies such as Chanel and Ralph Lauren do not want to reduce their elevated status with a tacky concession stand poster.