Olympic Notes
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Torres' Agent Inundated With Requests, Offers
Following Her Success At Olympic Trials |
Premier Management Group President Evan Morgenstein, who reps 41-year-old U.S. Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, said that he has "been inundated with interview requests, sponsorship offers and book deals for Torres." Morgenstein said Torres before the U.S. Swimming Trials turned down "half a million in endorsement deals" in order to focus on her races" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/8). In S.F., Gwen Knapp writes with Torres winning two races at the trials, she “faced questions about doping, suspicions she fully expected and completely deserved.” But Knapp writes the media "didn't put [Barry Bonds] on the defensive about steroids" when he hit 73 home runs in '01. Knapp writes of Torres, “So why not leave her alone and let NBC and the Olympic sponsors sell this miracle untarnished?” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/8). Torres was profiled on NBC's "Nightly News," CBS' "Evening News" and ABC's "World News" last night (THE DAILY).
CASHING IN: In Chicago, Lewis Lazare notes Bank of America's (BofA) Olympic ad campaign, via BBDO, N.Y., is "built around the theme 'if you cheer, they'll hear.'" Lazare writes a "peppy BofA commercial insists America is the kind of country that loves everything the Olympics represent. To prove its point, the commercial is pretty much a cavalcade of scenes featuring flag-waving and pompon-pumping Americans coupled with some lively voice-over that underscores the cheering theme." BofA "certainly isn't hiding its desire to increase use of its credit cards in this Olympic spot," but "at least it's done a reasonably good job of cloaking brazen bottom-line interests." Lazare grades the new spot a "B" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/8).
REMEMBER YOUR ROOTS: In his final take before the end of Fox Business’ “Cavuto” last night, Fox Business’ Brian Sullivan noted the goals of IOC TOP sponsor McDonald’s in the Beijing Games are “to help support the Games, tie its global branding to sporting events and to continue to grow market share in China, all understandable.” However, the QSR is using its slogan, “I’m lovin' it,” in its advertising in China along with the line, “When China wins.” Sullivan: “Supporting the host nation is one thing … and you’re spending a lot of money on the Games and it’s appreciated. But show your appreciation to the American athletes and don’t openly pander to China’s Olympic fervor. Remember: you are an American company. You were built here” (“Cavuto,” Fox Business, 7/7).
THE RIGHT CALL: A DALLAS MORNING NEWS editorial analyzes President Bush's decision to attend the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Games and states the U.S. "can hardly afford to offend Beijing." The editorial: "It's hard to see the upside of having the U.S. president insult the Chinese by standing up the Olympics. Besides, it's best to keep politics out of the Games" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/8). A HOUSTON CHRONICLE editorial added Bush is "right to go" to the Opening Ceremony because "his presence will symbolize our own values, not endorse Chinese authoritarianism" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/8).
TERRA FIRMA: Internet company Terra said that it has been awarded the Internet and mobile rights in Latin America to the Beijing Games. Terra said that its Olympics site "will go live" August 1, and it will "include 13 different channels where users can choose whatever event they want to see 24 hours a day" (AP, 7/5).
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