Not everybody is enthusiastic about commercial sponsorship of the London Olympics. Here's 'Ronald McDonald', styled as a Coca-Cola 'future flame'

Our news team reports. 'It's very sad that an event that celebrates the very best of athletic achievements should be sponsored by companies contributing to the obesity problem and unhealthy habits' says Terence Stephenson of the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges (3). He is referring to McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Cadbury (purchased by Kraft Foods for $US 4.5 billion in 1988) and Heineken, transnational corporations that are official sponsors of the London Olympics. Of these McDonald's has sponsored the Olympics worldwide since 1968, Coca-Cola since 1928.

London Olympics business masterminds. For the UK, Lord (Sebastian) Coe (left); and for the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge (right).

Following special Acts of Parliament – the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act, and the Olympic Symbol (Protection) Act – other corporations and companies, small businesses, and individuals, selling or offering any products in the same category as those of the Olympic sponsors, anywhere in the UK, are prohibited from making any association with the Olympics. Fines for those found to have offended are up to £20,000. As a concession, chippies in the Olympic enclosure are allowed to sell chips (french fries) as long as they sell fish also. The organisers explain that the London 2012 brand is its 'most valuable asset', and if it 'did not take steps to protect it from unauthorised use and ambush marketing, the exclusive rights which [its] partners have acquired would be undermined'. London Olympics Delivery Committee chair Lord (Sebastian) Coe at one point got muddled. He thought that anybody who had paid to get into the enclosure to see the Games who turned up in a Pepsi t-shirt would be forbidden entrance and told to go home and change, but he seems to have been mistaken.

At the time this story was written, over 1,000 soldiers are held on stand-by to ensure the security of the Games against terrorism, following the failure of the private security firm to whom this task had been outsourced. It is understood that the military will not be used to ensure the security of Ronald McDonald or any of the commercial sponsors against 'ambush marketing' by rival companies, publicans or organisers of village fetes.

The McDonald's outlet built within the Olympic area, very close to the stadium (see picture below) is the biggest in the world at 3,000 square metres. It sits 1,500 people, has hired 2,000 staff, and is set to serve 1.75 million 'meals' of burgers, shakes, fries and Coke™.

Being built, and now operating: the biggest burger outlet in the world: the McDonald's 'cathedral' in the Olympic enclosure, with the stadium close by

The International Olympics Committee (IOC), the global governing body, has received $US 953 million from 11 global sponsors, two of which are McDonald's and Coca-Cola. (See Figure 1). Total advertising and marketing spend around the Olympics by sponsors is reckoned at between two and three times the sponsorship deals, so it is reasonable to guess that between them McDonald's and Coca-Cola are spending $US 500 million (half a million) on associating their lead brands with sport, fitness and health.

IOC president Jacques Rogge at one point said that there was a question mark over these sponsors and that extending the sponsorship deal for McDonald's was not an easy decision, but that sponsors' financial support was vital for backing sport at grassroots levels. The next day he clarified this statement and said that the IOC was proud to be associated with McDonald's and Coca-Cola. He also said that McDonald's healthier menu options and Coca-Cola's zero-calorie drinks showed that the corporations are taking public health seriously. McDonald's have introduced in their menu iced fruit smoothies, the company has announced that all the beef in the Olympic burgers will come from British farms, and the chocolate used in muffins will be fair-trade. Also, McDonald's will include 'activity toys' in Happy Meals, to encourage children to play online Olympics-inspired games.

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Figure 1

Olympics revenue since 2000

Since 2000 the revenue of the Olympics has soared away way above inflation, and has almost doubled. Revenue from global sponsors, who in this period (and previously) included Coca-Cola and McDonald's, has increased from $US 663 million through $US 866 million, and despite the global financial crisis now to $US 957 million. Broadcast rights revenue has almost doubled. The price of tickets has more than doubled. Source of information: International Olympics Committee.

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Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist at the London Royal Free Hospital, says it is 'obscene' that the International Olympics Committee associates the Olympics with fast food, sugary drinks, chocolate and alcohol, when there is an obesity epidemic. He appeared on BBCtv's Newsnight in July, asking why McDonalds and Coca Cola are able to make use of the most effective international marketing platform in the world reaching out to billions of people across over 200 countries. He says that in the UK 'there are now well over 20 million children who are overweight by the age of 5, and we are now seeing cases of 7 year olds being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. When I asked my 6 year old nephew why he likes to go to McDonalds he very astutely replied "It's because of the toys. Kids like toys and that's what attracts them".' (5).

Flame on

First the Golden Arches, now the Coke-red arch, to advertise the 1,300 young people selected by Coke to be the Future Flames for the London Olympics

Part of its deal with the Olympics enabled Coca-Cola to associate with the carrying of the Olympic torch throughout Britain. A Coke media release early this year explained: 'Coca Cola is a Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay. We launched the nationwide Future Flames campaign with the aim of recognising and rewarding exceptional young people. Future Flames could be nominated for using their passions in areas like sport, music, dance, the environment and community projects to spread happiness in their local areas'.

James Williams, Director of the Olympic Torch Relay at Coca Cola, said: 'The Olympic Torchbearers we have selected through our Future Flames campaign… are all outstanding people who spread happiness in their local communities to make Britain burn brighter, and now they will be honoured with the amazing experience of carrying the Olympic Flame'. James Quincey, President, Northwest Europe and Nordics, Coca-Cola, had much the same thought: 'Every day young people do great things in their communities, going the extra mile and using their interests and passions for sport, music, dance and the environment, to make a difference to others. The chance to carry the Olympic Flame during the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm delighted that through our Future Flames campaign, Coca-Cola is able to recognise, reward and celebrate the young people who spread happiness and make Britain burn brighter'.

The Olympic 'halo effect'

In the current issue of Communications Law (6) Neville Rigby, former head of policy at the International Obesity Task Force, and Amandine Garde of the School of Law at Durham University, say: 'The obesity epidemic has been conveniently overlooked in the race to achieve a "feel good" London Olympics, and to avoid confronting the issue of an international Olympic movement that has financial conflicts of interest with some degree of dependency on sponsorship by the "junk food" sector…The European Commission and the UK Government… have explicitly supported the involvement of food operators in physical activity promotion… The close link now established between the Olympic system and junk food serves to reinforce the claim promoted by the food and beverage sector that there should be greater emphasis on sport.

'Long before the 2012 Olympics were secured for Britain, Tim Lang had expressed his concern that sport sponsorship deals were merely marketing subterfuges to target youngsters: "It is very convenient for fast food and soft drinks people to sponsor sport, because by doing so they place all the emphasis on activity as the means of avoiding obesity rather than both activity and diet. There is a similarity between the strategy of the food industry today and the tobacco industry. Both have used sport as a means of reaching young people, and both began by denying evidence that their products are harmful to health. There is a horrible familiarity in the way the food companies have behaved; they are trying to buy influence and present a kindly face" (7). (See Box 2).

Cardiologist Aseem Malhotra continues 'With the over-supply of cheap processed food almost everywhere we go our choice is now limited. We should learn from history and realise that the most effective intervention to alter the statistics on obesity needs to be government regulation to curtail the availability of these unhealthy products.... The same tactics adopted by Big Tobacco to stall government action are now being taken up by an extremely powerful food and drink lobby'.

He continued: 'In Britain the health secretary Andrew Lansley has cosied up to the food industry by agreeing to include them in discussions over food policy, a tactic that leading public health expert Simon Capewell describes as akin to allowing Dracula to take over the blood bank. So far, political ideology that favours the corporations is trumping scientific evidence. We cannot stand back and allow a government policy that favours the protection of the huge profits of a minority at the cost of the health of the health of the population. We could have saved millions of lives with earlier intervention with Big Tobacco. For the sake of our children we must not allow the same to happen with Big Food'

It is, however, all happening, now, and in 2016, and in 2020.

References

1. Coca-Cola Corporate Responsibility Review 2010/11 online: http://www.cokecorporateresponsibility.co.uk/future-challenges/london-2012-olympic-games.aspx.
2. Anon. Chariots of fries. [Editorial] The Lancet 380, 9838, 188, 21 July 2012
3. Associated Press. British doctors blast McDonald's sponsorship of London Olympics. 1 May 2012.
4. Hickman M. Britain flooded with brand police to protect sponsors. The Independent, 17 July 2012.
5. Malhotra A. To combat obesity we must change our environment. Huffington Post, 18 July 2012.
6. Garde A, Rigby N. Going for gold – Should responsible governments raise the bar on sponsorship of the Olympic Games and other sporting events by food and beverage companies? Communications Law, 17, 12, 2012
7. Lang T. Fast food firms accused of using sport to attract children. The Guardian, 21 February 2004.