Monday 30 July 2012

Olympics Bunting - What Bunting? Zealous Trading Standards! and The Brand Police

Regular readers will know I regularly listen to LBC 97.3.

One of the presenters a few weeks ago said that he would like to drive through London and see it DRIPPING with bunting as with the Royal Jubilee but he pointed out you wouldn't know the Olympics are happening.

Fast forward and some shops got into the spirit of things, as below, only to be told to take it down...
Also read more here.
Up till a visit from Brand Police
Hackney Council said it is adhering to LOCOG's guidance on Olympic branding and merchandise!


What do the officials do for us in place of the above?  Well it has only gone up very recently, but it looks like this.  Does it get you excited? It doesn't me!




They are often referred to as the Brand Police, but if this is the best that they can come up with we should start to call them the Bland Police.

I was very happy that this year sees our flag being used, given that the politically correct have kept it undercover for as long as I can remember, but with bunting like that, you wouldn't even know this was Britain.

Thank God all of the shops have got flag merchandise everywhere you look (on sale inside stores).

With some of the posts I have written lately, you'd never know I am a big fan of the Olympics.  I am! It's just that I felt obliged to write about Aidan Burley, Rick Dewsbury and the Ugly Olympics Mascots Mandeville and Wenlock, as I am passionate about each and every one of these subjects.  Every parent I have spoken to has said that the mascots look too scary to buy for their child.

I was delighted to watch Rebecca Adlington get bronze yesterday; she really sped up at the end to make it happen - full kudos to her.

I also loved the Opening Ceremony - full kudos to Danny Boyle.  Just like I said it would on LBC 97.3 it certainly did have the effect of opening all of our hearts.

Liska xxx

6 comments:

  1. We always have flags up in Scotland all the time, not just on occasions. I can't imagine being told to remove them would go down well! We did break out the union jacks for the Jubilee though (alongside the Soltire!)

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    1. Hi Liska, I work for Trading Standards and trust me, our hands are tied. Since the 1990s the Olympic organisers have trademarked everything from Olympics, to Olympian, to Summer Games, then Locog trademarked London 2012, London Olympics.. the list of trademarked words and phrases runs to two pages. It's madness but we are duty bound to uphold the Trademarks Act, however ridiculous it may seem to the outside world. It's not possible to make exceptions. Someone producing a fake Louis Vuitton bag is just as much at fault as someone using the 2012 Olympics under the Trademarks Act. My argument is with a system that allows an organisation to trademark what I would consider common phrases. Loved the opening ceremony. Truly bonkers and British!

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    2. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit, comment and explain. Even if those phrases are banned I would love to see flags everywhere or at the very least, those LOCOG official ones (that I personally photographed above) should look more British and not some blooming bland!
      Liska

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  2. I agree with you wholeheartedly. After that spectacular opening ceremony, the whole country should be dripping in Olympic colour, flags, banners. We should have gone nuts. If nothing else it all adds to the spirit and atmosphere.

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  3. I think they are a waste of money, they've done nothing for our local area and are very sparse compared to other boroughs we've visited!

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Drop me a line, and I will visit you right back - as soon as I get chance. Thanks for your comment.