Some weeks ago I sent an e-mail to the IOC representative in Beijing who ignored twice my request for information. Oh well, I thought she was nice but I guess I was being an optimist. (I have the bad habit of answering e-mails)
The two questions were:
1) how is it possible that companies like Nike, Kangta and Li Ning can cut deals to give outfits to athletes that will use them openly during opening & closing ceremonies and other?
2) on BOCOG’s website, Johnson & Johnson are listed twice, as TOP and as Beijing 2008 Partners. In the meantime, I found the answer – they are indeed in the two categories.
On 16 June 2007 “Beijing Today” reported “BOCOG to prevent ambush marketing”:
The athletes will not be allowed to endorse non-Olympic sponsors during the Olympic Games in order to protect the legal right of the sponsors to benefit from the Games, an official from BOCOG said.
“We won’t allow participating athletes to speak for non-licensed companies during the Olympics. For example, Liu Xiang has to promise not to represent non-official sponsors, even though he is endorsed by Nike, a non-licensed brand,” Chen Feng, vice-director of BOCOG Marketing Department said. BOCOG will do its best to protect the rights and interests of the sponsors and to fight against ambush marketing, which refers to those non-Olympic companies that gain commercial benefits by selling or promoting fake or unauthorized goods associated with the Games.
So far for the article that gives a partial answer to the first question but does not clarify (yet) the deals struck by certain National Olympic Committees to promote Nike, Kangta and Li Ning during the Games, in particular during the Opening Ceremony.