Lions Tour Advertising Restrictions

The upcoming British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand will take place during June and July 2017. The tour will see the British and Irish Lions play rugby union matches against all five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises, the New Zealand Barbarians, the Māori All Blacks and three test matches against New Zealand.

This Lions Tour has been designated as a Major Event under the Major Event Management Act (MEMA).  The MEMA provides protection to organisers and sponsors of major events from ambush marketing.  The MEMA recognises that major events rely on sponsors making very large financial commitments.  Other advertisers are not allowed to free-ride on the sponsors’ investments and trade off the goodwill and publicity surrounding an event.

Therefore it is important for advertisers to be aware of the particular advertising regulations in place regarding the Lions Tour.  This guide provides general information and guidance on the MEMA. In particular, the Guide provides clarity on how to avoid breaching the MEMA through the unauthorised use of the major events emblems and words, which would suggest an official association with the event that does not exist.  Furthermore, the Order in Council declaring the tour a Major Event can be found here and includes words and emblems that are covered, similar to the restrictions in place during the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.