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Vancouver-based sportswear retailer Lululemon Athletica deserves a gold medal for self-promotion after VANOC overreacted to the pre-Christmas launch of an Olympic-related clothing line, says a retail consultant.
"VANOC's helping them get their name in the news by the response," said David Ian Gray of DIG360 Consulting. "It may even inspire others."
VANOC commercial rights manager Bill Cooper was outraged by Lululemon's "Cool Sporting Event that Takes Place in British Columbia Between 2009 and 2011" winter wear, which launched Monday.
"It reminds us all of how humourless VANOC is and the risks of poor communications when lawyers run the show," Gray said.
"I can see why they have to always be perceived to be fighting back on this stuff, but Lululemon is not offside.
"The more that VANOC whines about it with no leg to stand on at all, it's going to make Lululemon look even better."
Lululemon has a history of clever guerilla marketing.
In 2005 it offered free clothes to shoppers who lined up in their underwear.
"It reminds us all of how humourless VANOC is."