London Olympic Games Is "A Little Poor", And Sponsors Of Footwear And Clothing Enterprises Have "Hijacked" The Olympic Games

Under the shadow of the European debt crisis, the London Olympic Games, which was supposed to be full of joy and passion, glory and dreams, was also a bit gloomy and sad. This so-called "the most temporary Olympic Games in history" is really a bit "shabby": 8 of the 14 new venues are simple "temporary buildings", and even the 55000 seats in the main stadium "London Bowl", which can accommodate 80000 people, are all temporary. Before the game, the basketball stadium was found, demolished and sold to the next host country Brazil

Behind the "somewhat poor" of the London Olympics is the reality that the British economy is wandering in the downturn. Since the 2008 financial crisis, the UK's GDP growth has repeatedly shown negative values. When the European debt crisis was in full swing in 2011, the UK's GDP growth rate in the fourth quarter was - 1.2%, showing a recession crisis. In 2011, the UK unemployment rate was close to 8%, breaking the 17 year UK unemployment rate record; The UK government's fiscal deficit reached a record 145.4 billion pounds, the most serious fiscal deficit since World War II. Some magazines listed the UK as one of the countries with the most pessimistic economic outlook in 2012.

In this social and economic context, is hosting the Olympic Games a good medicine or poison for Britain? London Mayor Johnson said in a recently released report that the budget for the London Olympic Games of 9.3 billion pounds (14 billion dollars) has been four times higher than the initial budget plan of the government. Faced with such a large number, the British government said that it estimated that there would be 13 billion pounds (20 billion dollars) of revenue in the next four years. In addition, the tourism industry will also benefit from the Olympic Games in the long run. According to David, Executive Director of the UK Tourism Administration, the UK's goal is to earn 17 billion pounds (26 billion dollars) in tourism after the Olympic Games.

Experts believe that even if the Olympic Games are not a "quick cure pill" for the British economy, it is at least a "shot in the arm". Russian experts are optimistic that during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, VISA card consumption increased by 82%, 93% and 15% year on year respectively. Therefore, it is expected that the London Olympic Games will bring more than 8 billion dollars of additional income to Britain.

However, some experts still maintain a pessimistic attitude, believing that the impact of the Olympic Games on the British economy is quite limited. Stephen Zemanski, an economics professor, said: "The London Olympics will be a wonderful party, but after the party ends, everything will be as usual."

　 The most commercial Olympics?

In this summer, even without Sherlock Holmes' keen sense of smell, people can easily smell the commercial flavor of the London Olympic Games. According to a company participating in the London Olympic Games, the London Olympic Games is the most meticulously developed Olympic Games, and partners have been introduced in every conceivable field. For example, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline provides laboratories for doping drug testing, and mining company Rio Tinto offers gold, silver, copper and other metals for medals. Even the candy athletes want to eat is provided by the old manufacturer Cadbury. During the Olympic Games, the sponsors built the Olympic Park in the focus position into a solid base camp. If you are hungry, you can only go to McDonald's, and if you are thirsty, you can only go to Coca Cola. If you are short of cash, you can either go to Rice Bank to withdraw money, or you can only use VISA credit card.

However, the Olympic "ticket" is of great value. Whether you choose "long-distance ticket" to become the global partner of the International Olympic Committee or buy "short distance ticket" to become the third level partner of the London Olympic Games, you will have to pay real money. The threshold for top sponsors is $100 million, while the threshold for domestic first level sponsors is $40 million. A long list of sponsors is listed. According to statistics, the London Olympic Organizing Committee has collected about 1.9 billion dollars from them.

There are as many as 53 official sponsors of the London Olympic Games, and the London Olympic Organizing Committee strictly protects the interests of these sponsors. Therefore, there is media irony that this Olympic Games is the most commercial one. This sponsorship contract bought with money has strong exclusiveness. Within 1km of the London Olympic venues, including 2m along the bicycle and marathon races, are all "exclusive brand areas". In the 35 days since the opening of the Olympic Games on July 27, any brand that is not a sponsor of the Olympic Games will not want to enter this area.

Even the favorite food of the British, French fries, was monopolized by sponsors. In order to ensure the interests of McDonald's, more than 800 retailers in more than 40 venues of the London Olympic Games were prohibited from selling French fries. In addition, children who lined up on both sides of the welcoming road of the London Olympic Park to welcome athletes from all over the world have also been told that they should wear "comfortable, non branded or Adidas branded gym shoes ”。

It remains to be seen whether the London Olympic Games can be crowned as the "most successful Olympic Games" at the closing ceremony, but at least they have worn the hat of "the Olympics with the most comprehensive protection for sponsors" early. The meticulous care for sponsors of the London Olympics has aroused public resentment. 91% of British respondents believe that such protection of sponsors is a bit excessive. However, Sebastian Coe, the chairman of the London Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, defended this practice. He said that in this difficult economic environment, it was the funds from sponsors that supported a considerable part of the expenses of the Olympic Games. If the rights and interests of these sponsors were not protected, the prospects of sponsorship for the future Olympic Games would be seriously damaged.

At about 12:00 local time on the 28th, a large number of people in London held a demonstration near the Olympic Park to protest against the excessive commercialization of the London Olympic Games and the breach of the so-called commitment. Protesters said that the Olympic Games should be the people's games, but it has been manipulated by large global companies and financial institutions, and has become a market to promote their brands. A woman told the reporter: "Sports and world peace are all very good, but I think the Olympic Games have been hijacked by big sponsors."