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Written by rosalind renshaw

Here is an awful warning to estate agents even thinking about what, to be on the safe side, we shall now call the event that dares not speak its name.

It was a beautiful morning as the barge promoting the event that dares not speak its name paraded itself proudly on the public thoroughfare known as the Thames.

As the boat drew in front of Tower Bridge, Eric Walker of Bushells (who had a splendid grandstand view of it from his office) was filled with patriotic pride.

And, whilst he has refused even so much as to get on the lettings bandwagon that goes with the event that dares not speak its name, his staff were amongst the several thousand unable to resist taking pictures.

Understandably, he used one of them in a local paper where his Docklands branch is advertised. Completely straightforward, no Photoshop involved, just exactly as it was.  

Whereupon he found himself in the most fearful hot water, and told off in no uncertain terms by the brand protection team at the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (sorry, we’ve said it, but there didn’t seem to be a way of getting round it).  

The upshot? Abject apologies from EW, who when last heard of had been spared the Tower, but has had to promise never, ever, to infringe the emblems again for fear, obviously, of beheading and having said head placed on a spike.

At EAT, we were rather intrigued by all of this.

First of all, if they didn’t want to advertise the event that daren’t speak its name (apparently, even the phrase London 2012 is copyrighted and can’t be used without authorisation), why did they use a boat to float up and down the Thames with the logo for all to see and admire?

Secondly, a photo taken in a public place from a public place (ie, a pavement) is generally held to be perfectly okay, so we don’t quite know why the London Organising Committee for Shh!! You Know What got quite so uppity.

But, third, we have come up with a bold yet practical solution.

Next time they want to float a nice big boat up the Thames to promote the athletes, horses, beach volleyballers, Sir Chris Ahoy, Sir Seb Cobbleigh et al, couldn’t they just cover the whole thing up in a blanket?

If you don’t want to see the proscribed picture, look away now...

Comments

  • icon

    The only 'O' ring I am familiar with is the one that gives me 'Farmers' a bit of a problem each morning during a movement!

    • 13 April 2012 22:09 PM
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