Sun's Olympic Urinals Story Flushed Out

by Josh Gerstein
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 at 5:01 AM

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Other news outlets are beginning to jump on the New York Sun's big scoop two weeks ago about super-vigilant enforcers of Olympic sponsorship rules putting stickers over the brand names on urinals and other bathroom fixtures at the Main Press Center and other Olympic venues.

The Sydney Morning Herald picked up the story this morning, complete with enterprising photos of the defaced appliances.

And the item about the arguable excesses of policing against ambush marketing really hit the big time Monday when a reporter for Britain's Channel 4, Alex Thomson, used a news briefing to ask the International Olympic Committee's communications director, Giselle Davies, about the marketing practice. Mr. Thomson called using the press center's bathrooms a "peculiarly anonymous experience" because of all the visible brand names being covered up.

"Thanks, Alex. You must have a lot of time on your hands," Ms. Davies replied. "I've been to the bathroom in this hotel actually, but I didn't notice any of that. So I'm going to have to double check it next time I use that private bathroom that I have the chance to use. I'll check it out."

Ms. Davies went on to say that protecting "partners and sponsors" was vital to the Games, which simply could not take place without the funding those companies provide. "Of course, there are protections in place to uphold what they have invested into," she said. However, the Olympic spokeswoman said it was possible that the enthusiasm of Chinese organizers had taken the vigilance too far. "We are here in Beijing in China with hosts who are trying across the board to deliver perfect Games. They want to welcome the world and they want to do this as best as they can. And we were talking about people endeavoring to do their best, and maybe from the rest of the world, we don't expect that degree of perfection," she said. "I think we have to also respect that in many incidences we are raising here, we are simply saying hosts trying to give us a Games as they see the world wanting to see it. Let me take a look at those bathroom examples and come back to you."

The spokesman for the Beijing organizing committee, Wang Wei, conceded that those involved in the bathroom stickering may have gotten carried away. "They may over do it. That is possible," he said.

We look forward to Channel 4's investigative report.

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