Cricket receives high-level ambush advertising protection

Today's One Day cricket international between Australia and Pakistan at the WACA Ground will be the first major sports event in Western Australia to be protected from ambush aerial advertising.

Western Australian Sport and Recreation Minister Terry Waldron yesterday announced the first implementation of the recently enacted Major Events (Aerial Advertising) Act.

The legislation, which came into force in mid-January, will for the first time provide protection for event organisers and sponsors, with the WACA being the first to apply for an event order.

The Act controls aerial advertising at major events or a series of events and provides the organiser and sponsors with the security that their rights and privileges would be protected.

Minister Waldron said the Act was introduced partially in response to incidents in recent years where matches at the WACA Ground were used as advertising opportunities by businesses with no connection to the game.

Minister Waldron stated "major sporting and entertainment events have increasingly been subject to ambush marketing through aerial advertising.

"The new law makes it an offence for companies to run rogue aerial advertising campaigns that can damage popular major events.

"Ambush aerial marketing is grossly unfair, allowing companies to exploit high-profile advertising opportunities for which legitimate sponsors have paid significant dollars."

The Minister said the Act restricts activities such as sky-writing or the use of banners or advertising attached to aircraft such as blimps, aircraft, hang gliders and hot air balloons, adding "these activities have a major impact on event organisers as they could not offer any real protection to their sponsors.

"This legislation will ensure that the rights of sponsors of a major event will be protected at law and provide a further incentive to a sponsor to invest in major events in this State."

Minister Waldron said it was fitting that today's international cricket will be the first event in Western Australia where the protection applied, given Cricket Australia were one of the key drivers of seeking this legislation across Australia.

Image shows the WACA from the air.

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