Beats by Dre gives headphones to British Athletes.
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| Rapper Dr. Dre |
A controversy is boiling in London as the Doctor raids the Olympic Games with a brilliant or devious marketing plan. The rapper Dr. Dre along with his public relations and marketing teams sent British athletes customized versions of his Beats headphones. The headphones were quite impressive as they were complete with personalization and draped in national colors.
So what's the big deal you might ask? Well unfortunately like most things in life it comes down to dollar signs. Apparently it's prohibited to "advertise" from companies that do not hold official Olympic rights. The IOC (International Olympic Committee), the company that regulates advertising for the games are upset being they already have an official electronics sponsor with Panasonic.
Another problem with this is that several athletes have already been spotted rocking the new headwear. Now officials don't have say on whether or not the athletes can wear them but, they do have the power to stop any mention of the company in interviews or social media.
A brilliant plan or devious scheme? Beats by Dre gained popularity during the 2008 Games in Beijing when Lebron James was spotted wearing and distributing them to fellow teammates. Now at the 2012 games their popularity is spreading like wildfire especially among the aquatics who use them to block out noise prior to their meet.
The funny thing is that by not allowing companies like Beats by Dre to advertise in the games they've been even more successful by marketing themselves as "underdog" brands. I enjoy seeing the big machines' cage get rattled every once in a while, even if it is by a smaller machine.
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