UPS "We Love Logistics", but we hate stilted, forced partnerships for London 2012

It's about time to write a positive blog about some fantastic marketing at London 2012 but I can't resist taking a marketing swipe at UPS and their "Congratulations" advert in yesterday's Metro. Total shocker!!

Not only is this a dull ad, a tired and tested and shouldn't be used format, but their 2012 Ambassadors videos on their website are also forced and uninspiring. I can see that the team spent a good 60 minutes brainstorming London 2012 Olympics and asked themselves the question: "how do we fit logistics into a brand ambassador team line up and get them in a UPS/Adidas tracksuit in our UPS warehouse.....all in under 2 minutes?"

Their ambassadors are Louis Smith (above), Denise Lewis, Ben Ainslee and Steve Rider. UPS facebook page has 25k likes but again is pretty uninspiring with just content from the ambassadors and links to their facebook pages. They even have 29 videos narrated by Steve Rider on the logistics for different items needed for London 2012...yup that's logistics!

A similar story with twitter where @UPS_London2012 actually follows more people than they have followers -  871 following vs  727 followers!! In their own words on twitter "Its been 7 years & 21 days coming, & we've been working up to this"

I get that logistics isn't the sexiest topic, but 

a) it's the brand marketers job to make it sexy to logistics purchasers

and b) I find it a huge shame that the UPS "60 minute brainstorming session" over the last "7 years and 21 days" wasn't more productive.

A couple of tips:

1. create employee engagement, staff mentions, get customers to generate stories about UPS staff - in essence highlight the human element and stories in the brand

2. create some competitions on facebook - win money can't buy prizes of a dinner with Steve Rider / Denise Lewis,,,blimey even the odd Olympic ticket would have been good!

3. generate followers on twitter

4. partner with another Olympic supplier partner

5. "inspire a generation" since the Olympics only come every 4 years