Many companies, commentators and advocates of free speech have been uncomfortable with the reportedly heavy handed protection of corporate sponsor’s exclusivity at the London 2012 Olympic Games starting on Friday.
Stories of restaurants being forced to drop the ‘O’ from their name and call themselves ‘Lympic’, as well as lists of forbidden words in promotional material have served to raise ire, but also to highlight the main sponsors in waves of media coverage.
There is no official betting partner of the Olympic movement and the sector is viewed with some suspicion but Paddy Power has never let that get in the way of publicity and the company’s latest offering is likely to raise more of a smile than a summons.
A major billboard campaign at London transport hubs has revealed the company to be the official sponsor of the largest athletics event to be held in London this year.
The event is the Paddy Power Egg and Spoon Race, open to all comers, and the London in question is a small town between Lyon and Dijon in France of that very name.
The Powers publicity machine is cranking out that competitors can wear, eat and drink what they like and because any reference to games, gold or medals would likely draw action, the prize for the race is a €100 betting account.
It is unlikely anyone will be barred admission to the Olympic park wearing unofficially approved footwear but equally somebody seeking to conceal a 20 metre banner extolling the values of Pepsi or Nike will have to think again.
It is not expected that any athlete will reveal any bookmaker branded underwear after the €100,000 fine handed out to Nikolas Bendtner at the Euro 2012 Finals.
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