Each day during the Summer Games, THE DAILY offers our take on the business performances of some of the people, sponsors, broadcasters and other entities around London.
| MEDAL | MEDALIST |
| | GOLD: USAIN BOLT -- A slew of questions swirled around Usain Bolt during the last year, but the Jamaican sprinter put them all to rest and cemented his place among the greatest Olympians of all time. His success is sure to help his sponsors: Puma, Visa, Gatorade, Virgin Media, Hublot, Nissan, Digicel and Regupol. It is also a big win for track and field, which has benefitted from Bolt's worldwide recognition since Beijing. |
| | SILVER: COCA-COLA'S "BEATS" MARKETING -- Coca-Cola's "Beats" Olympic marketing campaign is as creative, comprehensive and consistent as anything at the Games. From the "Beatbox" venue in the Olympic Park to the groups of performers entertaining people around London, the beverage maker has scored a hit with its music-focused marketing. |
| | BRONZE: BMW'S MINI MINI -- Olympic venues are supposed to be void of sponsors, but official London '12 sponsor BMW found a creative and fun way to integrate its product into the Olympic stadium -- providing radio-controlled miniature versions of its Mini that retrieve shot puts, javelins and other pieces of equipment during the track and field competition. |
| | TIN: LONDON AQUATIC CENTRE -- The competition is over, but there is talk that the Aquatic Centre will be nominated for architectural awards. It should not be. The facility is an example of an architectural concept -- a roof that looks like a wave -- trumping function. Views inside the facility were poor because the roof dipped so far down into the stands. |
