The Corporate Olympics

With golf being added to the Olympic Roster in 2016, I’m wondering about the implications of the recent spate of news about draconian corporate sponsorship rules at the London Olympics. Here’s a sample of the madness:

Games boss Sebation Coe warned anyone wearing a Pepsi T-shirt is likely to be booted out because it would upset sponsors Coca-Cola.

And he only said spectators in Nike trainers “could probably” be allowed in although Adidas are also backing the event.

Coe defended the draconian move and said it was to protect corporate sponsors who have paid a fortune to be involved.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2012/07/21/london-olympics-lord-coe-s-astonishing-sponsors-outburst-86908-23910798/

They’re also banning cell phones and other devices that could possibly provide an internet hotspot so one of their sponsors can sell daily internet access. Police officers have been told to put their snacks in clear bags so that non-sponsor logos would not be seen. The Nike logos at the Manchester stadium have been painted over.

Corporate sponsorship is everything for top level golf, with players on the “staff” of major manufacturers, and wearing clothing that looks like billboards. So what happens if, say, Nike decides to sponsor the 2016 Olympics. Will players be forced to hide the TaylorMade, Callaway and Titleist logos on their equipment?

1 thought on “The Corporate Olympics”

  1. I’d go with ‘Yes’. Then again, this is the Olympic Council in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world, in a newly third-world country that’s forced by necessity to turn the place into an armed camp. Rio might be a bit different.

    I could also see there also being a separate sponsorship of the golf competition; that would certainly drive up the bidding.

    Likely the sponsors will come up with some inventive ways to mitigate the logo-less event.

    Reply

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