B-to-B advertisers are "pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into" the Olympics, according to Kate Maddox of B-TO-B magazine, who notes "most agree" the Games are the "most important sports venue of the year." Denver-based Bortz Media & Sports Group Managing Dir Jim Trautman: "The B-to-B audience is typically hard to reach by TV. The Olympics and a few other sporting events (are among) the few opportunities to reach them." EDS VP/Global Advertising LaWanda Burrell said, "The Olympics, over 17 days, are the perfect venue for us to tell our story." EDS will run over 50 30-second spots during the Games. TOP sponsor Xerox will run three different spots in a new campaign, via Y&R, N.Y., with the tag, "There's a new way to look at it." OPUS sponsor Monster.com will run 150-200 spots on the Olympics with a $10M-plus budget for the event (B-TO-B, 2/11).
SCHLUMBER PARTY: ADAGE.com's Rich Thomaselli reported that TOP sponsor SchlumbergerSema will not have any ad time on NBC during the Olympics or any signs at venues in Salt Lake City. The only mentions of the company will be on its hospitality tent and on the buses that pick up "the more than 200 clients the firm has flown in for the Games." SchlumbergerSema Dir of PR Michele Bernhardt said, "We're not interested in advertising at this time. We're more interested in business-to-business and public relations right now" (ADAGE.com, 2/11).
MORE TOP DEALINGS: ADAGE.com's Tobi Elkin notes TOP sponsor Samsung has spent $50M on its Winter Games sponsorship and will "leverage it to drive its fast-growing wireless communications business" (ADAGE.com, 2/11). In UT, Lois Collins notes that innovations in '02 by TOP sponsor Seiko include a "transponder-based timing system in biathlon and cross country skiing, which simplifies timing." The devices are the size of a quarter and are worn on an athlete's ankle. Seiko has 150 employees and 250 SLOC volunteers working events (DESERET NEWS, 2/12).
