Hundreds of uniformed Olympic officers will be taking to Britain’s streets today to protect Olympic sponsor’s lucrative marketing deals. They will be parading around the country wearing purple caps and tops, checking that firms are not engaging in “ambush marketing” or “illegally associating themselves with the Games at the expense of official sponsors such as Adidas, McDonald’s, Coca Cola and BP.”

This move is likely draw more flack for the organizers over the fact that the government has had to draft in 3,500 soldiers who were on leave to make up the shortfall in security staff after security firm G4S confessed that they would be unable to supply the Games with the numbers of security staff they had previously promised. It will add fuel to the fire in the debate that the Olympics are becoming too corporate. According to several media outlets, the policing of sponsorship deals and the crackdown on “ambush marketing” is stricter and more thorough than it has been at any other Olympics in history. Continue Reading

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