Issue #49 Vol. 35, February 2nd, 2010
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Opinions

Who’s the real poor sport?

By Jessi Raechelle

 Lululemon’s new line promotes patriotism

When it comes to its new marketing campaign, Lululemon sure knows how to generate media attention (good or bad). This winter they were once again able to grab the attention of the public with their new winter athletic wear, which slightly resembles Olympic gear. Needless to say, this new line did not go unnoticed by VANOC, the official Olympic organizers.

This new clothing line is called “Cool Sporting Event That Takes Place in British Columbia Between 2009 and 2011 Edition.” It consists of toques, scarves, mittens, t-shirts, hoodies, and a hockey helmet with tooth blackener—a fun gift for any hockey fan. The clothing line colours represent the national colours of Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Germany. These are the four countries that are believed to bring the most international travel to the Vancouver area during the Olympics. To add a nice little touch to the line, the Canadian hoodies are finished with gold zippers while the United States hoodies have silver ones. The gold zipper is said to be symbolic of the Canadian Loonie that was imbedded in ice when Canada won against the United States in the 2002 men’s gold medal hockey game.

As most can imagine, this new marketing campaign did not sit well with the power-hungry bullies we know as VANOC. When VANOC caught wind of this new clothing line they immediately retaliated by publicly rebuking Lululemon. Olympic officials accused Lululemon of lack of sportsmanship. Isn’t this a case of the pot calling the kettle black? Perhaps Lululemon’s attempt to profit from the Olympic Games without being an official sponsor portrays a lack of sportsmanship. However, their public scolding shows that VANOC has a little to learn about good sportsmanship as well.

Eric Peterson, Lululemon’s spokesman, claims that the line was intended to promote patriotism and all sporting events in 2010 including the World Junior Hockey Championships. Peterson also stated that if Olympic officials were upset with the new line, they were more than willing to sit down and discuss the objectives behind it. Instead, VANOC simply lashed out at Lululemon. Lululemon’s new line threatens the power that VANOC holds. Intimidated, they retaliated in a hasty way.

VANOC quickly tried to redeem themselves by claiming to take the high road and not pursue legal action against the so-called “poor sports.” However, Lululemon did their homework to ensure that in no way was their new clothing line an infringement on the laws set in place to protect the Olympic brand. VANOC is not “taking the high road,” they simply have no other options because Lululemon has held themselves to the letter of the law.

I applaud Lululemon for their strategic efforts in bringing out a clothing line that represents team spirit and national pride. With gold zippers that resemble previous victories and red tee shirts that say “eh”, it’s hard to argue that national pride wasn’t one of the key components behind this line. And because there are no dates anywhere on the clothing, you can wear your toques and hoodies to represent Canada in Olympic events for years to come. Rest assured, there will be another “cool sporting event taking place in British Columbia between 2009 and 2011” that you will be able to sport your hoodie to in an effort to show your national pride. Might I suggest rocking the Canadian hoodies at the Whistler Cup, an international ski event held this April?