No doubt, official sponsor Coca-Cola isn't amused by Pepsi's antics, though with its earlier promotion featuring Pepsi spokesperson David Beckham, Coca-Cola is hardly in a position to cast the first stone.
But what is happening in Thailand these days is comparitively small change against what could potentially unfold when the 2008 Olympics hit Beijing.
In a market where intellectual property rights are routinely disregarded, regulating the rights of sponsors will be near impossible, no matter how committed Chinese officials may be in trying to prevent ambush marketing from marring their showcase event.
With its 1.2 billion consumers, China has long kept the world's marketers enthralled, even as it continues to disappoint on the earnings front.
So an event like the Olympics, where the hype is already in overdrive, is going to be too huge a temptation for marketers, both global and home-grown, to resist. And what's there to stop the ambushers from gate-crashing the party?
The Beijing Government may stipulate strict protection for Olympic-related property like the interlocking rings, or mascots, logos and anthems developed by China. But, what's there to stop an ambush marketer from making donations to local sporting teams in honour of the event and highlighting the deed in their marketing collaterals? It's one of the many grey areas and loopholes that Beijing officials will have to grapple with - and probably with little success. After all, the litigious US - even with the Lanham Act to prevent such marketing practices - has been unable to control the problem.
