Ambush marketing – did it all kick off in South Africa?

Before the first match of the 2010 World Cup kicked off, FIFA had been quick to take action worldwide against companies which were not official sponsors but were still seeking to gain a promotional benefit from this top sporting event (ambush marketers).  

In South Africa, it had the benefit of onerous legislation restricting ambush marketing activity. An amendment to the Merchandise Marks Act designated the World Cup a 'protected event'. Yet this was still a World Cup in which ambush marketing made headlines worldwide.  So, what went wrong?  Our expert Dan Smith has considered this issue in an in-depth analysis.