Hasta La Creative!

Toyota does not take over as a global Olympics sponsor until next year. So for the Rio games, the automaker must still comply with strict trademark restrictions on Olympic phrases and imagery.

But in a new ad debuting during NBC’s coverage of Friday night’s opening ceremony, the automaker comes about as close as it can to portraying what looks like an Olympic ceremony without breaking the rules. The spot by Saatchi and Saatchi, L.A., opens with a medal ceremony, including three athletes on a podium. But keen observers will notice that the scene, which was shot in Morocco, depicts not the Olympics but a fictional event called the “friendship tournament,” according to signs in the stadium.

The ad is another example of how non-sponsors are getting creative as they seek to tap into the Olympic spirit in ads without breaking the United States Olympic Committee’s trademark rules. The regulations forbid the use of phrases including “Olympic,” “Go for the gold,” “Let the games begin,” “Team USA” and “Road to Rio.”

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