Olympic Sponsors Fail to Win the Gold

The Olympics have become my new obsession this summer and I’m not alone. People around the world have tuned in to watch these super human athletes compete for the chance of a lifetime; winning the gold. Americans sit at the edge of their seats as we all gasp, cheer, and hold our breathes hoping for the impossible. It is so difficult to watch both the heartbreak and drama that unfolds, especially realizing most of these athletes have prepared for four years, the time it takes most people our age to get a high school or college degree. 

The perseverance and drive of these individuals becomes an inspiration that Olympic sponsors have tried to capitalize on. Commercials are filled with our favorite current stars such as Michael Phelps, RyanLochte, Jordyn Weiber, and Rebecca Soni. The overwhelmingly emotional and patriotic themes help our country feel unified and we suddenly remember why we are proud to be Americans, associating these positive messages with the commercials we see.

But the important question is: can you even identify the names of these Olympic sponsors? If you can’t, don’t worry you aren’t alone. 

Team USA Olympic Sponsors

In a recent online survey, many participants incorrectly identified Pepsi, Burger King, and Nike as official Olympic sponsors. Considering that their rivals (Coca Cola, McDonalds, and Adidas) pay hundreds of millions of dollars for their sponsorship, this is a major problem. Olympic sponsors get the sole right to associate their brand with the games and use Olympic trademarks on advertisements and packaging. Furthermore the Olympic committee has restricted athletes by only allowing official sponsor endorsements for social media sites and commercials during the games. It would appear that rival companies should be the underdog in this battle for advertising gold, but so far Olympic sponsors are failing to achieve a victory.