London, England: The Summer Olympics that locals were calling “shambolic” when they started July 27 ended as “happy and glorious” for International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge on August 12. That was the line he nicked from “God Save the Queen.”
NBC, the biggest funder of the Games, was happy with its glorious ratings, the best since Atlanta 1996 when the Excited States last hosted the Summer Games. In Canada, the CTV-led consortium had a pair of three million-plus ratings for women’s soccer’s semifinal and bronze medal match. And the Canadian Soccer Association has something to market for the next three years as the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 approaches.
Despite what the British press kept saying, Vancouver was the first social media Olympics. London could very well be the last newsprint Olympics, as tablets will proliferate exponentially.
Vancouver was also the first zipline Olympics, thanks to the one strung over Robson Square. But London was the first where a politician got stuck on the contraption. London’s madcap mayor Boris Johnson made locals laugh. He made them shake their heads when he suggested London ought to have a fourth Olympics someday.
Whoa, sir. Just wait until the truth comes out about how much it really cost. The oft-rabid British press will have a field day dissecting London 2012. It may happen sooner than you think. The 6% increase in rail ticket prices announced the day after the day after the Games could be just a teaser. Richard Branson was a cheerleader for the Games, but his Virgin conglomerate lost the contract for the western rail services on August 15. It’s safe to say neither transport minister Theresa Villiers nor transport secretary Justine Greening will be given a kitesurfing invite from the jetsetting Branson.
The host Great Britain team won 25 gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze medals. The most marketable gold internationally to major English language markets will be that of cycling time trial champion Bradley Wiggins. “Wiggo” was the Tour de France winner who rang the giant bell to start the opening ceremony.
CONCACAF nations had arguably the best results in the Olympic soccer tournament. On the men’s under-23 side, Honduras eliminated Spain in the first round. Spain’s European Cup and World Cup teams were defending champions, but the Olympic hat trick was not to be.
Mexico beat Brazil for men’s soccer gold.
In women’s soccer, the U.S. gold medal and Canada’s bronze medal might offer someone incentive to resurrect a women’s professional league or pump money into the W-League so that we can regularly see Abby Wambach and Christine Sinclair play.
The Canadian Olympic Committee’s Give Your Everything/Tout Donner ad campaign was a bold step under the marketing savvy leadership of Chris Overholt and Derek Kent. Unfortunately Canada owned none of the steps on the podium, with its one gold, five silver and 12 bronze tally.
Rosie MacLennan’s surprise gold medal in trampoline gymnastics was the only piece of London gold that came to the Home and Native Land. It won’t be a big stretch for MacLennan to become a pitchwoman for backyard trampoline sellers.
BMW made a cheeky gear shift with its British Mini brand. There was a Mini in the opening ceremony. There were mini Minis in the Olympic Stadium, used to shuttle equipment back and forth. IOC rules prohibit advertising at competition venues, but now we know that unbranded product placement is OK. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola and Powerade were available on press conference podiums. Like Beijing 2008, London 2012 had no major sponsor announcements. But Acer, the Taiwanese computer hardware giant, may not renew its deal.
Rogge announced the IOC will reconsider its ticketing policies after the London Games were hit by all manner of domestic and international ticketing controversies.
