In 1984, the Olympics became a self-sustaining entity when the International Olympics Committee (IOC) put on its first games that did not require public funding. They accomplished this by offering lucrative sponsorship contracts that provided exclusive rights to “official sponsors.” Unknowingly, they also gave birth to new advertising strategy known as “Ambush Marketing.”
Ambush marketing is an emotionally-charged phrase that refers to the practice of appearing to align a brand with an event for which that brand has not paid for the right to be a sponsor. Probably this practice had existed in some form long before 1984, but the sheer volume of money involved and the worldwide attention given Olympic events have led many to view the 1984 Olympic games as the origin of ambush marketing.

