Glasgow 2014 strikes outdoor advertising deal to provide sponsors first refusal on access

SPONSORS of the upcoming Commonwealth Games, taking place in Glasgow next year, are to have first refusal on taking space on outdoor advertising boards throughout the city, following a deal struck by the Games organisers, Glasgow 2014, with the main outdoor advertising firms, such as JCDecaux, CBS Outdoor and Clear Channel.

The agreement will see outdoor advertising space in and around venues offered up to official sponsors and Glasgow 2014 to “help promote the overall look and feel across the city and prevent ambush marketing before and during the Games”, according to a media release issued by Glasgow 2014.

‘Ambush marketing’ is where advertisers attempt to either associate themselves with, or capitalise on a particular event, without paying any sponsorship fee or other costs.

The release continues: “Media owners who have agreed to work with Glasgow 2014 include JCDecaux, CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel, Forrest Media, Primesight, SPD Media, BlowUp, Ocean Outdoor, Ubiquitous and T4 Media.

“The collaboration, initiated by Glasgow 2014, takes onboard the learnings from London 2012 and supports the Scottish Government’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games Act 2008, which regulates Events Zones.

“Games sponsors at partner and supporter level will have first option to secure advertising space from the media owners in January 2014 before space outside regulated Event Zones is offered back to the open market.”

The Glasgow 2014 official sponsors are Longines, SSE, Emirates, Virgin Media, BP, Harper Macleod, Search Consultancy, Ernst & Young, Atos, Dell, Toshiba TEC, A.G. Barr, Cisco, NVT Group, RGS, Trespass, Riedel and Ticketmaster.