June 15, 2008 – The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is taking aim at pretenders by launching a national advertising campaign next week to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying authentic Games merchandise and tickets. This month, VANOC is also launching a targeted marketing industry awareness campaign on the associated marketing rights of 2010 Winter Games Official Sponsors — companies that are making the 2010 Winter Games possible through their support.

The Real 2010 advertising campaign — starting June 17 in The Globe and Mail and select Canwest newspapers — focuses on two important consumer issues: the integrity of official Olympic and Paralympic goods and, as the launch of VANOC’s ticketing program approaches, authorized 2010 Winter Games ticket sales.

The launch of the campaign also coincides with the 29th Kestenberg Siegal Lipkus LLP Annual Anti-Counterfeit Training Conference taking place in Vancouver, BC from June 17-19. VANOC will participate in the conference and introduce its on line trademark enforcement manual, a new tool that helps law enforcement agencies, such as customs officers and police, identify counterfeit 2010 Winter Games goods.

Real 2010 Merchandise
The trade in counterfeit merchandise is not only illegal, but also puts consumers at risk. Consumers should be assured that official Vancouver 2010 merchandise is produced according to strict safety and quality assurance standards and to a high level of ethical sourcing and social responsibility.

“By purchasing official Vancouver 2010 merchandise, consumers can feel confident that the product is safe, ethically sourced and supports both the staging of the 2010 Winter Games as well as Canadian athletes,” said Caley Denton, VANOC vice president, ticketing and consumer marketing. “The Real 2010 campaign will help consumers make informed decisions about the 2010 Winter Games products and merchandise they purchase.”

VANOC encourages consumers to always check for the unique hologram affixed to each item, which is designed to assist in identifying the product’s authenticity. These holograms feature 2010 Winter Games emblems and several layers of security designed to prevent unauthorized copying, protect consumers and assist customs officers. VANOC has also established an internal anti-counterfeit team that is working closely with law enforcement authorities and the Canada Border Services Agency to address this issue.

Real 2010 Tickets
VANOC is also taking significant measures to address the issue of secondary ticket sales. With the support of the International Olympic Committee, these measures include deploying “secret shoppers” to purchase tickets from unauthorized dealers, tracing the origin of these tickets and disabling all tickets from unauthorized sources. VANOC is also considering establishing an authorized, centralized ticket resale and distribution resource where members of the public can safely exchange and purchase tickets.

“Consumers should buy directly from vancouver2010.com or Jet Set Sports/CoSport, our official hospitality services provider to ensure the authenticity of their ticket purchases,” continued Denton. “Our message to consumers is simple: for your own protection you should question the authenticity of tickets bought from any other source but our website or our authorized ticket agents. They may not be valid and may not be accepted for entry to 2010 Winter Games venues.”

Real 2010 Sponsors
VANOC has developed an overall strategy to recognize Official Sponsors and Partners who are making the 2010 Winter Games possible through their support, and to educate the Canadian business community about how it protects their rights. The first educational component is a booklet targeted at Canadian marketing agencies and marketers. The booklet outlines VANOC’s reasons for, and approach to, protecting the Olympic and Paralympic Brands in Canada, and provides examples of what could be considered both authorized and unauthorized use of the Olympic and Paralympic Brands. The booklet will be distributed at industry conferences and events, and sent directly to a range of marketing agencies and advertisers starting this summer.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.