Although ACOG officials report that sales of merchandise
bearing the Atlanta '96 logo are ahead of schedule, Jeff Kunerth
reports that "response has been less than overwhelming" in
Orlando. Stores featuring Olympic merchandise in Central FL
report that demand has been strong among tourists, but many
regular consumers feel it is still too early to buck up for '96-
themed goods (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/27)....Yesterday's WASHINGTON
POST featured a front-page story on Atlanta's struggle to combine
"teamwork, racial harmony and cooperation" to overcome the
"negative aspects of the South's past" (WASHINGTON POST,
8/28)....Amtrak is looking for a corporate sponsor to fund
passenger train service from Nashville to Atlanta during the
Games. Raleigh-Durham and Birmingham are also considering
Olympic train service (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 8/24)....KDD has
been named a gold sponsor for the '98 Nagano Games. In exchange
for sponsor privileges, KDD will provide its services in creating
a network for the transmission of TV and radio signals in Nagano
(NAGANO OLYMPIC NEWS, 8/95 issue).... Holiday Inn, an Official
Hotel Sponsor for the '96 Games, has named Clarion Performance
Properties as sports marketing agency for its Olympic sponsorship
activities. Clarion will create a series of local and
merchandising opportunities for Holiday Inn connected with the
Olympic Torch Relay and other aspects of the Games
(Clarion)....Izzy, the official mascot of the '96 Games, is
headed for an extended road trip. The mascot will make daily
trips to nine Anheuser-Busch theme parks, as part of A-B's
marketing programs. A-B's parks include the Busch Gardens and
Sea World facilities (Chris Roush, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 8/26).
