Ambush marketing erupts outside WACA Media Man Australia

Ambush marketing erupts outside WACA, by Braden Quartermaine - 17th December 2006
(Credit: The Sunday Times)

While the clash between the Ashes rivals has taken centre stage, another fight has been escalating off the pitch.

The ever-increasing phenomenon of ambush marketing has flared again in Perth.

A Perth Messages on Hold employee was fined $100 by the City of Perth on Friday for carrying a cardboard cutout of Shane Warne sporting the company's logo on a footpath outside the WACA.

"This is the most ridiculous fine the council will issue all year and we will fight it on principle," said Messages on Hold's managing director Kym Illman.

"Cricket Australia has gone troppo over a logo that is smaller than what you could print on a T-shirt."

Damian Lane, the man who copped the fine, was incensed, given he was outside the stadium.

"It appears Cricket Australia is telling the Perth City Council what is and isn't allowed in public," he said. "It's a joke."

Official sponsors, who pay millions of dollars to back events, are seething at ambush marketers' increasing audacity.

Australia's most anticipated summer of cricket began with Lion Nathan, through the XXXX Gold beer brand, launching a beach cricket series to cash in on cricket's popularity.

Cricket Australia has a huge sponsorship agreement with rival brewer Fosters.

Allan Border resigned as an Australian selector after agreeing to take part in the beach series.

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