During the London 2012 Summer Olympic, the provision known as Rule 40 in the Olympic Charter blocked athletes from promoting anything but official Olympic sponsors during the duration of the Olympics. Athletes who violated the rule around the time of the Olympics faced potential disqualification or forfeiture of medals.
Olympians considered the rule overly restrictive. They argued that it hurt their relationship with unofficial Olympic sponsors and curtailed their income. In light of this they started a campaign on Twitter using the hashtag #WeDemandChange2012. It was the first ever Olympic Twitter protest against the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) policy regarding unofficial Olympic sponsors. U.S Track & Field star Sanya Richard-Ross delivered the first tweet and also mentioned NBC Olympics. It didn't take long for other athletes to start showing their support. Nick Symmonds, Bianca Knight, Lolo Jones, and Lashinda Demus were just some of the athletes that took to Twitter to denounce the policy. Athletes from around the world also released a statement that read: "While we consider representing our country at the Olympics the highest honor, every day we face the reality that achieving that dream requires financial support. This support requires that we be able to effectively market ourselves and acquire sponsorship, a process that is part of an ongoing journey, 365 days a year, every single year."
The disconnect between Olympic athletes and the IOC has finally resulted in a resolution. During its meeting in Rio at the end of February, the IOC decided to simplify Rule 40. It now allow generic (non-Olympic) advertising during the period of the Games. It means that, for example, generic (non-Olympic) commercial advertising involving athletes competing in the Games would be able to run during the duration of the Olympics as long as the advertising does not create an impression of a commercial association with any Olympic property, and in particular the Olympic Games.
The rule that will be applied as of the 2016 Summer Olympic in Rio will be more in-tune with the current Athletes' environment. However the National Olympic Committees retains the right to restrict or prohibit this general principle in their territory subject to their local laws and regulations.
The resolution between Olympic athletes and the IOC can be viewed as a win-win for the parties involved. As the athletes match their personal bests and break World records, audiences will be able to see the sponsors who helped them get to the big stage. Millions of people from around the globe tune in to watch the Olympics. Having Olympians as brand ambassadors allows brands to advertise their products and services to a large audience.
Do you want an Olympic athlete to represent your brand? OpenSponsorship has over sixty Olympic athletes from a vast multitude of sports. Sign up to OpenSponsorship and get connected to an Olympian today.
