The Metropolis

Dow Chemical backs down over Olympic sponsorship

Mike Pollitt | Monday 19 December, 2011 10:07

Ted Jeory has been all over this:

The US corporate giant said it was agreeing to the “vision” of the 2012 Games by waiving its sponsorship rights to place its brand on a controversial fabric wrap for the stadium.

Hardly. At the corporate level, the “vision” of the 2012 Olympics is to peddle a romanticised ideal of sporting contest in order to make vast sums of money. The Dow Chemical sponsored wrap around the stadium was this vision realised in textile form. The new wrap will not bear Dow’s logo, but the sponsorship deal remains and the Olympic rings will adorn their marketing. The old wrap was tasteless, but essentially honest. The new wrap is an inoffensive lie. You can call that progress, if you must.

Trial by Jeory – Dow agrees to removing logos from Olympic wrap

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