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Image courtesy of www.beijing2008.cn, permission being requested

I expected the most interesting part of the Beijing Brand Battle to be played out between official Olympics sponsor Adidas and non-sponsor, ambush marketer Nike.

I was wrong.

If there were a gold medal for ambush branding, Li Ning, China’s largest sportswear brand, would have won it.

Although the Li Ning company, shortly before the Games, had to pull out of a deal with China’s national TV station CCTV that would have outfitted presenters with its gear, its ambush of the opening ceremonies—by having its founder, executive director, and former Chinese Olympic athlete Li Ning soar above the stadium to light the Olympic torch—has proven to have far more impact.

During his three minute flight, media commentators had ample time to talk about this former Olympic hero and, in the same breath, mention China’s biggest sportswear brand dozens of times. And, by the way, on his flight Li Ning was wearing the required Adidas shirt but his own Li Ning shoes!

Not only did Li Ning company shares go up about 6% in the days following (converting the Chinese national pride he generated into money), but also Li Ning also created immediate, global consumer awareness for its brand, prepping the ground for its ambitious global expansion plans.

In short, Adidas paid $50 million to be an official Olympics sponsor. Li Ning made $30 million on share price alone, and gained perhaps another $20 million worth of global media exposure, all in three short minutes.

This was a very elegant play by Li Ning, and one deserving of the ambush branding gold medal.

Together with all the other lessons learned about official Olympic sponsorship, this strategy is certain to redefine the terms sponsorship and ambush branding for the upcoming London and Vancouver Games.