Nearly a year after the London Olympics, the Games’ main sponsors have been reflecting on the success they have achieved and celebrating the “legacy”. McDonald’s, Visa, Deloitte and ATOS have all seen improvements in major key performance legacy indicators such as obesity, personal debt, company administrations and savings in disability benefits.
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) has praised the companies in their efforts to make sure the impact of their support of the Games did not waver.
“With McDonald’s announcing a surge in profits towards the end of last year and obesity levels in the UK continuing to rise, the “summer of sport” has really left its mark. Watching those fine athletic specimens is hungry work and luckily McDonald’s, as well as our other sponsors Cadbury’s and Coca-Cola, were on hand to fill even the most cavernous and expanding stomachs.”
Lord Coe’s appreciation for the “legacy” providers did not stop at the food companies. “Our main legacy aim for London 2012 was to get more people worldwide going out and buying all the equipment they needed to emulate their Olympic heroes, as long as they buy it on a Visa credit card.
“Their Olympic legacy is profits up 30% for the first three months of the year. It’s amazing the power of a captive, over-priced ticket audience can do for you.” Lord Coe then went on to talk about one particular case of a man who had been truly inspired by the sponsors of the Games.
“John Lamb, 45 from London, is a double-leg amputee. After coming into contact with ATOS, Mr Lamb was declared fully fit for work and had his benefits cuts by £60 a week. Luckily, he was able to get a Visa card to make up the shortfall for a while, and all at a bargain 34.9%APR. It was not all good news though as he found he did have to tighten the purse strings a little. However, eating £3.49 meals from McDonalds every day certainly helped him keep a tight budget and even tighter trousers.”
Some critics of the commercial legacy of the Olympics have been quick to point out that all of the points raised by Lord Coe are not of huge benefit to society, and that surely the sporting event should be more about what it gives to young kids. However Lord Coe was very quick to point out that the Olympics has given many teenage boys Jessica Ennis.
You must be logged in to post a comment.