London 2012 and Diageo line up sponsorship deal
LONDON - Diageo is in talks to secure a deal to become a tier-one domestic partner for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
It is understood that the drinks firm, which owns Smirnoff, Guinness and Captain Morgan has already entered into discussions with London 2012 commercial director Chris Townsend.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has also been in talks with beer brands including Anheuser-Busch (Marketing, 28 March), but a deal with Diageo would override this due to sponsors' desire for category exclusivity.
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Earlier this year, Diageo hired Coca-Cola head of sponsorship Steve Cumming as Diageo global sponsorship director. It has already sought out agencies to help it promote the sponsorship should the deal be agreed.
London 2012 has signed three tier-one partners: Lloyds TSB, EDF Energy and Adidas. Sectors being tendered out to brands, including clothing and homeware, airlines and oil and gas. LOCOG, which aims to raise £750m through domestic deals, is also courting ties with brands in categories such as supermarkets.
Diageo has several existing high-profile sports ties, including sponsorship of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 team through its Johnnie Walker brand.
Diageo declined to comment on the deal and Chris Townsend was not available to comment.
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Comments
Jeremy Lee - 06/11/2007
Interesting strategy from Diageo - this'll surely come as a bit of a blow to beer brands, such as Budweiser, which have previously expressed an interest
James Kent - 06/11/2007
I think the value for Diageo is much stronger than for Anheuser-Busch, primarily because its portfolio of brands is much wider, so for LOCOG it presents a bigger financial opportunity. The right to associate with the Olympics in markets such as China would be a marketers dream!
Jeremy Lee - 06/11/2007
I totally agree. Opening up the Olympics beyond beer seems eminently wise, especially given alcohol tastes in emerging markets.
Gordon Macmillan - 06/11/2007
No one see a problem here between booze and sport?
Jeremy Lee - 06/11/2007
Not really - it's been going on for decades.
Peter Petrelli - 06/11/2007
you have clearly never played drinking darts
Mark Wilson - 06/11/2007
I think that this association could be problematic for Diageo more than London 2012 as I'm fairly sure that the games has a pretty low opinion amongst consumers across the country. Gordon Macmillan makes a good point too - will people really simply accept Smirnoff Ice and an Olympics that is supposed to leave a legacy 'for the kids'?
Jeremy Lee - 06/11/2007
Only those people who were daft enough to believe that the Olympics was about 'leaving a legacy for the kids' in the first place...
Gordon Macmillan - 07/11/2007
Clearly there is going to be a legacy. If nothing else sporting infrastructure will be left behind, which will mean better training facilities for the next generation of British atheletes. Not entirely daft.
Ed Kemp - 07/11/2007
Well, there will be a legacy - good or bad. We could be left with a load of seldom used stadia or, as you say, the Games could provide the facilities for future generations.
Jeremy Lee - 07/11/2007
Yes but I'm not sure that the prime purpose of 2012 was about leaving a legacy. For Blair and Livingstone perhaps..