Australian sporting codes were rocked by the ACC's investigation into drugs in sport, which commenced February. Now sportswear brand Skins is rallying against it with its first anti-doping campaign fronted by former banned sportsman Ben Johnson.
Johnson, a Canadian Olympic sprinter and one-time fastest man on the planet, was banned in 1988 after testing positive for drugs. He was stripped of his 100m gold medal, which was handed to Carl Lewis, and banned from competing. Now he is back and fronting the Chose the Right Track campaign which kicks off this week in Sydney. It will later launch in Japan and Seoul, Korea.
A survey for Skins found that Bodybuilding, the Tour de France and the National Football League are seen by Australians as the three “dirtiest” sports. It's results suggested that sports fans believe more than a third of rugby league players in the grand final will be using performance enhancing drugs.
Doping and drugs scandals can also affect the sponsors of teams and players involved. Brand reputations can be tarnished and multi-million dollar sponsorships can be at risk. However, the survey found that around three quarters of fans blame athletes rather than organisations. And while brands may chose to review their affiliations with the clubs deemed to be the worst offenders, a major sponsor is yet to walk away from its club.
The campaign is part of Skins ongoing Pure Sport platform. It wants sports fans to get on board and sign an online petition and share the campaign on Twitter and Instagram using the #ChooseTheRightTrack hashtag. M&C Saatchi Sports and Entertainment is running the campaign.
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.
Have something to say? Send us your comments using the form below or contact the writer at rosiebaker@yaffa.com.au
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.