CNBC's Carl Quintanilla reported that IOC TOP sponsor Samsung has a "huge marketing presence" in Rio's Olympic Park, including areas that offer VR experiences and the Galaxy "water test," where phones are submerged in water. One of the benefits of being a TOP sponsor is that Samsung "has the place to itself." Quintanilla: "All that money, they would argue, is well spent for having the lion's share of attention here with obviously tens of thousands of guests" ("Closing Bell," CNBC, 8/11). Meanwhile, YAHOO SPORTS' Jackie Bamberger noted upon arriving at the Olympic Village, athletes of all countries "are treated to a plethora of perks courtesy of the Games’ many sponsors." This year’s "most notable gift is a special Rio-branded Galaxy S7 smartphone, courtesy of Samsung." However, North Korean officials reportedly "collected the phones that were to be given out to the country’s 31 athletes" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/13).
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| Rhode does not currently have one sponsor outside the firearm industry |
SHOT DOWN: BLOOMBERG NEWS' David Biller noted Patrick Quinn, the agent for U.S. shooter Kim Rhode, in the year leading up to Rio "pitched her to around 20 companies that back the Olympics," but "none were convinced" to endorse the six-time medalist. Quinn said, "The big mystery is how someone like Kim isn't part of the Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and the Olympics sponsor push. It would be nice to have an Olympic sponsor recognize the magnitude of her accomplishment.'' Biller noted Rhode and other shooters on Team USA "think the reason is obvious." The rise in gun violence and mass shootings in the U.S. "have attached a stigma to shooting as a sport." So while companies like Winchester, Beretta and Otis Technology support Rhode, she "doesn't have a single sponsor from outside the firearm industry" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 8/13).
BOYZ IN THE HOOD: In N.Y., Guy Trebay noted a lot of viewers "found themselves wondering who made" the hooded jacket Michael Phelps wore while waiting to swim. Arena, which outfitted the U.S. swim team, was responsible for the "cool knee-length parka in flag blue and with red chevrons on the chest and in stripes on the hood." The parka "may be the early fashion breakout" of the Rio Games (N.Y. TIMES, 8/13).
CUP CRAZY: The AP's Dan Gelston notes a plastic Olympic beer cup is "one of the hottest souvenirs" of the Rio Games. It has "swirling orange, blue and green color patterns on a yellow cup that include the name and silhouette for more than two dozen sports." The cups are "suddenly fueling the merchandise machine and have been traded, sold, and yes, even stolen, as fans clamor for hard-to-find sports such as gymnastics and soccer this deep into the Olympics." About an hour before last night's boxing session started, fans "lined up 25 deep at some 'cerveja' stands ready to go another round." The long lines "weren't necessarily because of slow pours from the can into the cup." Once at the front of the line, fans "would shake through stacks of cups until they found the one sport they wanted" (AP, 8/15).
