the Olympics mini Mini... 1.09 billion dollars of sponsorship gets some things past the "No Advertisement" rule

this is just the most obvious advertising/publicity gimmic that I've heard of... BMW mini's getting all the free press in the world (I'm guilty too aren't I) because they were brilliant enough to get these small 10 HP electric remote controlled Mini's to be on camera in every discus, javelin, and hammer toss event (So I heard, I don't watch the Olympics)

The International Olympic Committee has had a rule for a long time about no advertising or publicity by sponsors. Yeah, I bet they have a rule against performance enhancing drugs too... but since these R/C cars are on the field, I doubt that the IOC can pass a test that they followed that rule about advertising

"IAAF validates several different transporters. Yes, it happens to be the official partner of the London Games but there is no commercial delivery," he told a news conference.

(wow, this guy tells lies easily, he is relying on the "No visible Logo" technicality, like the shape, look, design, front, side, and back of the mini isn't instantly recognizeable and therrefore giving BMW Mini publicity, in violation of the rule)

 "There is no link between the sponsorship and the coverage of the physical fact that these are mini Minis on the field of play," Lumme said.

 The IOC's rule on advertising states that no form of advertising or other publicity shall be allowed in and above the stadia, venues and other competition areas which are considered as part of the Olympic sites."

"The Mini is an incredibly known globally, British icon. Again Rule 50 compliant. No logos," he said.

 The London Games have received some $1.09 billion from sponsors wishing to be associated with the 2012 Olympics.

Information from http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/07/13166816-micro-minis-crash-olympics-despite-advertising-rules?lite


MINI’s owner BMW is, of course, a major sponsor of the 2012 Olympic Games and the cars are as much of a marketing tool as anything else, but a rather clever one in classic British fashion. The company is showcasing many of its zero emissions cars in conjunction with the event  http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/08/06/mini-mini-electric-cars-enter-london-olympics/


In the past, motorized boxes have been used to tote javelins, discuses, shots and hammers from the field back to their throwers, cutting down on time (and volunteer exhaustion). BMW was among the handful of brands that managed to get an exclusive marketing deal in the Olympic Park, and in the heart of one of the most significant sites of the London Games as well. The opportunity gave birth to the Olympic “Mini Minis.” http://london2012.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/mini-minis-help-keep-field-events-on-track/

The Mini MINI R/C cars will be used at both the Olympic and Paralympic games, and they join a fleet of 160 full-size  BMW series E Active models and 40 MIni E hatchbacks as part of BMW's own all-electric Olympic team.  http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/02/olympics-to-use-mini-cooper-r-c-cars-for-javelin-discus-retriev/

Automobile magazine has a brilliant art director, check out how they made the story about a BMW driver pop

I found a new website that celebrates cool photography, airplanes, celebs, motorbikes, race cars, etc.. Silidrome.com very cool stuff, not much info, but cool photos

 The coolest, the Fonz. On a Triumph

 A Corsair getting used during down time as a hammock

 Steampunk looking monorail

 Don Yenko in 1960 or 61

 BMW bike, great photo

 What board tracks were... huge gaps between the boards! Looks just like the 1922 Indy racing Frontenac
I posted last November... wire wheels, not that common

 Drifting around a corner in a Delage

 1910 Brighton Beach

 1903 Renault

 Generva Mudge, the first woman to have a drivers license, and was a race car driver

 Mooneyes on the helmet and headlight area, and a straight six

 the Abernathy kids, age 13 and 9, drove across country on their Indian in 1913
... notice the banner hanging from the handlebar, it says US Tires
there is a lot about their story, so late in life the youngest kid's wife and daughter put together a book. The boys were raised by their dad, and somehow got hooked on being exploited for cash prizes, ala the cross country ride, drive, or whatever - craze that newspapers were using to sell papers... beginning at age 5 and 9. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0966216601/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=giftbasketsfr03-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0966216601&adid=1DDBRAT23E67XAH6S6N3&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanishedamericana.com%2Fkids%2Fmore-information-on-the-abernathy-kids%2F

Sliding around a corner one handed, and shifting with the other

 A Flying Merkel

 Amelia Earhart

 1906 steam shovel and locomotive, near Boston

 Burt, 1970. A better resolution image than the one like it I've posted before

 Australian that is holding his dog, sitting on what's left of his Harly with a can of VB on the tank. It burnt in the horrible wild fires that struck down so much of Australia in 2009

 Le Mans 1959, the year Carroll Shelby won

 Coolest series of amphib planes ever

The Vincent year by year visual identification guide... now why doens't Harley make one? Anyone have a link to one?

So what is the name about? A silodrome is the "Wall of Death" like the one that Fearless Elbert and his Racing Lion rode on... and that was one of his first posts... he has a lot of cool stuff I've posted years ago, like Elbert and the lion, Burt Munro, the Fonz, old race cars, old motorcycles, and so on... so much cool stuff, that the above is just a glimpse at the ones I liked the most when browsing through http://silodrome.com/ enjoy!

the mystery of the BMW blue and white logo... what is the source?

In the movie Finding Forrester http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181536/ Sean Connery is the main character and teaches a young guy a lot, but specifically tells the guy what the blue and white badge was representing the blue sky and the white of a airplane propeller, because of BMW's airplane motors. Good movie by the way

This month's Automobile magazine has a pop quiz and says that is a mistake, and the real reason is the the flag of the Free State of Bavaria was a blue and white flag

So I tried to see what the internet had to say, it's the propeller according to http://www.etiziano.com/I_love_logo_design/secret_of_the_bmw_logo.html

Aircraft engines are the origin of the myth. People think that the BMW logo is based on a rotating airscrew. The origin of this interpretation is the cover of a BMW aircraft magazine. This picture (shown below) was taken in 1929, years after the logo first came into existence. Respect for the publicity department back then for the fact that the airscrew myth continues today. according to http://www.logodesignlove.com/bmw-logo-evolution who asked the BMW Group historian BMW chose the Bavarian national colours as a symbol, 

So it all depends on who you ask