Going to the mattresses: OKC Thunder sends cease-and-desist notice to Bob Mills over promotion
The OKC Thunder have sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bob Mills Furniture over a mattress promotion tied to "the Oklahoma City team."
Hours after The Oklahoman published an article Tuesday morning about Bob Mills Furniture’s mattress promotion that appeared to be tied to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship run , the team took a preliminary step to take legal action against the retailer. Dan Mahoney, vice president of corporate communications for the Thunder, told The Oklahoman Wednesday that a cease-and-desist letter was sent to Bob Mills on Tuesday due to violations of exclusive marketing rights. The promotion, which has run on television, offers customers at Bob Mills locations in Oklahoma City and Tulsa a full refund on mattress purchases if the “Oklahoma City team” wins the championship.
The company did not provide a specific end date for the promotional period. More: Why Dillon Brooks' 'usual antics' aren't working on SGA in Thunder-Suns NBA playoff series Although the promotion uses similar blue, orange and yellow hues to the city’s NBA franchise, the campaign doesn’t specifically mention the Thunder, but it does tie the promotion to “the Oklahoma City team. ” The Thunder sent a statement to The Oklahoman Wednesday, saying the organization is aware of a current retail promotion in the marketplace that references team performance in connection with a conditional consumer offer.
“We take this matter very seriously. The retail business conducting this promotion is not an official partner of the Thunder and is not authorized to use or otherwise associate with the Thunder brand in any capacity,” the statement reads. The organization goes on to state it has longstanding policies to protect their intellectual property, brand integrity, and the exclusive rights granted to their official partners.
“We are actively reviewing the situation internally and with the NBA. We will explore all available options to address it, including appropriate legal remedies,” the statement reads. “The Thunder organization is committed to ensuring that any use of Thunder-related themes and intellectual property, whether explicit or implied, is conducted in a manner that is authorized, compliant, and respectful of our loyal corporate partners.