Ambush marketing occurs when a brand pays to become the official sponsor of an event and an other brand tries to connect itself to the same event, without paying the sponsorship fee and without breaking any law.

Famous ambush marketing

• At the 1984 Olympics Kodak sponsors TV broadcasts of the games as well as the US track team despite Fuji being the official sponsor.
• At the 1988 Summer Olympics, Fuji sponsors the games despite Kodak being the official sponsor.
• At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Nike sponsors press conferences with the US basketball team despite Reebok being the official sponsor.
• At the 1994 Winter Olympics, American Express sponsors the games despite Visa being the official sponsor.
• At the 1998 World Cup, Nike sponsored a number of teams competing in the Cup despite Adidas being the official sponsor.
• At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Qantas Airlines’ slogan "The Spirit of Australia" sounds strikingly similar to the games’ slogan "Share the Spirit." despite Ansett Air being the official sponsor.
• At the 2002 Boston Marathon, as Adidas-sponsored runners come off the course Nike are treated to spray-painted messages honoring the day of the race, but not the race itself.

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