Olympics Marketing Sprints Ahead

The London 2012 Summer Olympics will begin on July 27, but the sponsors are already starting their marketing to make the most of their involvement. (If you visit the official London 2012 site, be sure to make your own cutesy cyclops mascot here.)

Three examples:

• Duracell's "Rely on copper to go for the gold" campaign (commercial above) shows how Olympic and backyard athletes trust Duracell batteries when they train. Duracell is one of the P&G brands sponsoring the games.
• Coca-Cola is pouring on the marketing, with an official song (below), high-profile involvement in the U.K. torch rally, and much more (including a focus on sustainability).
• McDonald's has pledged to use only U.K.-sourced chickens at the 4 restaurants it will operate at the Olympics, a local sourcing decision that is getting a lot of positive attention.